Shadow Stalker
by devonshire64
Summary: A short cut through the woods leaves the boys lost, seperated, and hunted.
1. Chapter 1

Warnings: Takes place after Season one. All 22 episodes are fair game.

I dont own anything.

** SHADOW STALKER**

Chapter 1

The road wove dangerously through the darkened hillsides and wilderness. Hairpin turns led to deadly drop offs, while the pine forest encroached upon the desolate straight aways. The shadows themselves seemed to be alive, misting silently across the back roads, swallowing all the sounds around them. Even the black car seemed to be just another ghost of the night, its piercing headlights the only sign of life in the quiet night. The low growl and heavy music of the impala was muffled by the dense forest growth, its rhythms dying away into the night, leaving no trace of its passage.

The car's two occupants rode on quietly, drifting through the landscape, conversation silenced by the low stereo. In reality Sam Winchester had fallen asleep hours before, lulled into unconsciousness by the warm autumn sun and familiar rhythms of the car. Dean on the other hand sat behind the wheel, wide awake on a mixture of chocolate and coffee. He had been driving for nine hours, only stopping for gas and food. Driving was Dean's drug and his peace. While on the open road he felt free and whole. He found solace in the rumble of his car as it ate the highway beneath. Yes, to Dean, there was nothing more peaceful then driving. He didn't have to think, didn't have to dwell, he could just put himself on auto pilot while he cruised through the emptiness between cities. It was here that he could relax, fade away, and just be Dean.

He popped another handful of M&Ms and took another swig of coffee, the chocolate and caffeine giving another jolt to his tired body, ensuring another few hours of driving. It truth, Dean was very tired and while he told his mind that he was one with the road and an extension of is car, his mind told him that he was lying and at that moment nothing more then a human being. His actual inner voice saying, 'take a nap, you can be one with the road tomorrow.' And Dean had to shake himself a little, because for some reason, his inner voice sounded just like Sam.

"Gotta lay off the sugar." He whispered to himself, rolling down the window a little, letting the cool night air wake him a bit more.

"Where are we?" Sam asked quietly from the passenger seat, his open eyes the only indication he was awake as he continued to lean against the window, unmoving.

"The woods."

"Thanks. Care to be a little more vague."

"Maybe still Oregon, maybe Washington. I haven't seen a sign in a while."

"Are we lost?"

"No."

"Then where are we?" Sam asked slowly, as if speaking to a child.

"I just told you."

"Just because you know that we are still in the United States doesn't mean you know where we are."

"Hey, I narrowed it down to two states."

"Yeah, that was helpful. What time is it."

"Almost three."

"In the morning!" Sam jolted up and stared at his brother.

"No, Sam, the afternoon. It's just really cloudy."

"Jerk."

"Bitch."

"I thought you said we would be in Seattle by midnight?"

"I don't think I said that."

"Yeah, you did, when we left Boulder. You said midnight, one tops."

"Nope."

"Yeah."

"Did you record it?"

"What, no."

"Well then, there's no proof that I said it."

"Dean."'

"Your word against mine, geek boy. I thought you were a lawyer."

"Whatever." Sam answered, sinking into the seat, a scowl creeping across his tired face. He was in a bad mood and Dean wasn't helping. Sam had always been the more stationary member of the Winchester family. He liked having a home, a job and a routine. Truthfully, he loved everything about life that most other people found boring. So while Dean loved spending hours on end in the car, criss crossing the nation, Sam hated it. And whenever Sam was upset about something, as Dean had noticed, he just got grumpy. And grumpy Sam always led to annoyed Dean, while annoyed Dean always seem to lead to an even more grumpy Sam. All in all, when they were in their moods, it was like circling down a drain. There was no hope in stopping it until it ran its course.

Suddenly the impala lurched to the side, then righted itself almost as fast, sending Sam forward, his outstretched arms stopping him from hitting the dash, while his heart started pumping a mile a minute.

"Whoops, sorry." Dean said evenly from the driver's seat, a slight laugh in his voice, almost as though he were on the verge of hysterics.

"What was that for?"

"Nothing, just zoned out for a minute there." He chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing."

Sam finally took a good look around the car. The front seat was littered with yellow M&M wrappers and empty coffee cups. The mix of that much sugar and caffeine seemed like enough to give any normal person a heart attack, but not Dean Winchester, Sam thought with a mixture of bitterness and amusement, he could run off this stuff for days. 'No wonder he's going delusional.' Sam thought to himself.

"How many of these have you eaten?" Sam asked, holding up on of the wrappers.

"Not that many." Dean answered sheepishly, a sudden guilt crossing his face as Sam watched him try to tuck more wrappers under his left leg.

"Are there more over there, too?"

"No."

"Dean."

"What?"

"When was the last time you slept?"

"You cant really sleep while driving, Sammy." Dean answered matter-of-factly, while the car made another dangerous swerve across the road.

"Really, because you seem to be doing just that."

"What, cant hear you." Dean said as he turned the music up.

"I said." Sam began, turning the music down once again. "That you are going to fall asleep and drive us over a cliff."

"Never." Dean stated, turning up the music once again.

They rode on, their conversation quickly terminated by the music. Sam's periodic attempts to lessen the noise were only met by a slap on the hand and a menacing glare from Dean. Finally giving up Sam turned his attention back to the passenger window. He leaned his head against the cool glass and stared out at the unending darkness around them. The late October night seemed to stretch on all around them, even the moon and stars were hidden by the dark vale of clouds overhead.

After another hour of nothingness, and a few more swerves from Dean, Sam knew without a doubt that they were lost. He also knew that Dean knew it too. The smart thing would have been to leave it alone, but then, the Winchester brothers were not necessarily known for doing the smart thing, especially when their tempers were on edge.

"Some short cut." Sam mumbled to the window, just loud enough for Dean to hear.

"What was that, Samantha?" Dean snapped, turning down the music.

"Nothing."

"No, I distinctly heard you mutter something over there, broody."

The constant nicknames were starting to grate of Sam's already short nerves. "All I said was that short cuts, by definition, usually make the trip shorter, not four hours longer."

"Did I ask your opinion about it."

"I believe you did when you said 'What was the, Samantha.'" Sam mimicked Dean's earlier statement.

"Well, next time keep you opinions to yourself."

"Whatever, Dean. All I'm saying is that Dad is going to be pissed when we don't show up in Seattle on time. He did send us those coordinates like three days ago."

"Since when do you care." Dean answered angrily as he righted the car after another dangerous swerve.

"I care because he said he would be there, that it was a job for all of us. Jesus, Dean, ever since the accident you've been different. This could be something big and you are weaving your way through some god- forsaken forest in the middle of the night."

"You're getting close to that line there, Sammy, so drop it."

"Whatever" Sam braced himself as Dean swerved yet again. "Watch it dude, you could hit something."

"Sam, there is nothing out here, look." Dean began to swerve violently from one side of the road to the other, the tires barely holding on the asphalt beneath them.

"What the hell, Dean, are you trying to kill us. Why the hell do you keep swerving anyway?"

"I keep thinking I see stuff."

"Look, why don't we stop in the next town, get some rest." Sam looked over at Dean just in time to see a sheepish look cross his face as he stole a glance at Sam. "What?"

"You were asleep for a while there."

"What, Dean."

"We haven't passed any towns since about one thirty. That's when we got gas."

"So we're very lost."

"No very, just a little bit. Maybe. Look, I followed the signs and I don't remember turning off, we should be somewhere by now."

"Should being the important part."

"Look, we'll come across something soon."

"And what are you going to do when we run out of gas, push the car to your imaginary somewhere."

"Hey, its not my problem the navigator was sleeping."

"Oh, my apologies, I shouldn't have left you the arduous task of reading street signs."

"Well, you're just a barrel of laughs there, college boy."

"Whatever, let me drive."

"Hell no, not after last time."

"What do you mean by that?"

"What I mean is that the last time you drove my car, you drove it into a semi."

"Dean, I did not drive your car into a semi, a semi drove itself into you car."

"Technicalities, Sammy."

"So you'd rather you drove it off a cliff or into a tree."

"Won't happen."

"Then just pull over and we'll sleep in the car."

"What! Are you nuts. What if a bear eats us?"

" 'What if a bear eats us.' Are you serious. Stopping be stupid and pull over, man."

"No stopping."

"Pull over."

"What?" Dean yelled as he cranked up the music.

"Dean."

"What."

In one smooth motion Sam ejected the cassette tape, rolled down the window and threw the offending object out into the night. And just as Sam had suspected, this brought the car to a screeching halt.

"What the hell was that?"

"It got you to stop."

"I told you you're crossing the line, Sam."

"I don't care, Dean. Either let me drive, or we stay here for the night."

"Or neither, and you get your ass out of my car, pick up the tape, and we shag ass to Seattle."

"I don't believe that was an option." Sam answered evenly.

"Get the hell out of the car and find my tape." Dean gritted through his teeth, his anger rising almost unchecked. He didn't want to hurt his brother, but so help him god, if Sam kept this up he was going to arrive in Seattle with a broken nose.

"Get it yourself." Sam knew that it was wrong to push his brother, and that he would probably pay for it later, but at that moment he didn't care. Dean had been different since the encounter with the demon, hollow, and almost self destructive in a way. He didn't seem to care as much anymore, he was just going through the motions with no real effort behind it. Sam wanted nothing more then to help his brother deal with the aftermath of that night, but in true Dean fashion, his brother blocked him at every turn. Sam could tell there was something wrong with his brother, something that was eating him inside, and it tore him apart too. However, after almost six months of the new Dean, Sam couldn't take it anymore. So instead of using empathy to get through to his brother Sam chose anger. He wanted to get a rise out of him, because at least that would be something.

"Sam."

"What."

"Get the god damn tape."

"Get. It. Your. Self."

Dean stared at Sam for a few moment, struggling to get his temper under control before he violently pushed open his car door, slamming it forcefully behind him, and stalked off into the night.

Sam momentarily thought of tossing his brother a flashlight, but his anger got the better of him. 'Screw Dean, let him search for the damn tape all night.' Sam thought to himself as he wrapped his jacket tighter around his lanky body, the cold night air seeping into the now silent car. Sam leaned his head against the window hoping that dean would cool off in the search for his tape. Sam never felt himself slip off into sleep as the deep silent shadows crept in around him, hiding the car in the darkness of the night.


	2. Chapter 2

Here it is, Chapter 2. a little shorter, i hope you like it.

I still own nothing

A/N: for anyone who lives in washington state, i am sorry i have never been there, so the geography may be a bit off. Also, i dont remember hearing Sam's cell number on the show, so i made one up. if there is an official one please let me know :)

**SHADOW STALKER**

Chapter 2

John Winchester was many things, but a patient man was not one of them. He had sent his boys the coordinates days ago and in his mind, there was no reason why they wouldn't have made it there by now. He himself had been in Seattle for two days, researching the mysterious deaths of the tenants of a recently remodeled apartment complex. It seemed that at least a dozen angry spirits throughout the eight story building and been wreaking havoc among the residents, and they had now begun taking lives. It was a big job, but if worse came to worse, he could handle it on his own. He didn't really need his boys to be there, but he wanted them to be. Ever since the night with the demon John had found himself wishing for the company of his boys. He liked having them around, and he liked hunting with them. Hell, he just loved having his family back. And now that the demon seemed to be back in hiding it was once again safe for the Winchester family to be together. Well, as safe as it would ever be for them. Many things, both human and supernatural knew of the Winchesters, and therefor, there would always be something stalking their paths, hiding in their shadows.

However, not even the desire for family could stomp the marine our of John, and if their was one thing he hated, it was being made to wait. He knew the boys had finished their last job successfully a few days before he sent the coordinates. Unknown to either of his sons John had been having the boys tailed, and not just recently. He had been using his spider web of contacts to help keep track of his sons since Dean had left New Orleans to get Sam. It wasn't that he didn't have faith in his boys abilities, quite the opposite, it was just that he felt more at ease knowing what they were doing. If he couldn't watch their backs then by god someone else would, and it had been that way since they were children. Because, even though he didn't often show it, John's sons meant everything in the world to him. And he would march to hell and back, if that is what it took to keep them safe.

So, the fact that Sam and Dean had seemed to disappear off the face of the Earth sometime the previous night had John on edge. He had been calling them all day, but was unable to get through, and it had been almost fifteen hours since his contact last spotted them driving into the forests of southwestern Washington. Needless to say he was starting to get worried.

John pulled into the garage of the apartment complex and killed the engine. He pulled the phone from his pocket and decided to try each of his sons' cells again. He sighed heavily as he scrolled down through the list of names, stopping momentarily on the name 'Caleb' knowing that it needed to be erased, but he still couldn't do it. Reaching 'Dean' he hit send.

"... You've reached Dean Winchester, please leave a message. If this is about 11/2/83 text me." John disconnected without leaving a message and continued down the list, passing by 'Jim Murphy' on his way to 'Sam'.

"... Hello, you've reached 866.907.4763. Please leave a message."

John knew that Dean's cell phone was only given to possible clients, and they were more often the not referred to his number directly by John. While Sam's number was often given to possible witnesses or contacts, and given the number of different aliases the boys used it was unwise for Sam to leave his name on the voice mail prompt. John was careful with his boys, and while Sam was hidden away at school he had decided to hid Dean behind himself. Dean was his soldier, but he was by no means on the front lines. No, you always had to go through John to get to Dean. Because he knew far to well, that it wasn't only the supernatural that was after his boys, there were just as many human threats as well. And humans didn't follow patterns, which, in many ways, made them far more dangerous then the supernatural.

Without leaving Sam a message either, John shut the phone and climbed out of his truck, the beast looking strangely out of place among the expensive cars in the upscale residence. He had decided to quite the waiting game and go it alone, more waiting could mean more lives. He pinned the maintenance badge to his shirt before going to his hidden weapons locker to find what he would need. He placed a pistol loaded with iron rounds into the waistband of his jeans, and then selected a rock salt loaded shot gun, along with some salt, protection charms, and some of Missouri's poltergeist packs as Dean had started calling them. He then concealed his weapons in an old tool box and headed for the basement of the building, bracing for a long night of work.

The building had a sorted past, and John knew that cleansing the place would be no easy task. The building had once been an old paper mill and it had its share of deaths before it was redeveloped three years prior. Four deaths had been reported while the paper mill had still been in operation, but those were not the spirits that had John worried. About fifteen years after it had been closed a serial killer had decided to take up residence and the building had seen fourteen people tortured and murdered within its walls before the killer died in a hail of bullets, bringing the number of dead to an even twenty. John only hoped that all twenty weren't waiting for him inside.

As he crept quietly through the building he couldn't help thinking of his boys, and he hoped they had a damn good excuse for being late. 'They are going to be fine.' He told himself. 'There is a perfectly good reason why they are not here.' He quickly shook his head to clear the thoughts, he was on a hunt, and therefor, he couldn't fill his mind with what ifs. There would be time for all that later.

The longer he searched the more he came to realize that all twenty spirits were not present. He guessed now, and from witness reports, that there were only about seven. From eyewitness accounts he knew that there were two children, a young man in his twenties, and two young women, who, John knew, while they were all victims of the serial killer, they were held there only by fear, and were not the ones responsible for the deaths. The other two were a different story. One was the killer himself, Jacob Creylor, whom it seemed was responsible for many of the injuries the tenants had been suffering, while the other was not a spirit at all but a poltergeist, drawn there by the evil housed within.

The plan was simple, place the poltergeist packs around the building, then salt and burn Creylor's bones. As John set about the task at hand his mind again went to his boys, and he couldn't help thinking that this job would go a lot faster with all three of them there.

Five hours later John limped across the cemetery, his tall silhouette lost in the darkness. The poltergeist had figured about what John was doing by the time he reached the fourth floor. From there on it was a race against time, and flying objects, as he ran through the stairwells which stood conveniently in the north, south, east and west corners of the building, shooting blindly at the spirit over is shoulder while the poltergeist tried to stop his upward progress. By sheer will he somehow managed to make it to the four corners of all eight floors, effectively killing one half of the annoying supernatural tag team. However, it seemed that Jacob was not too happy about loosing his partner, and demonstrated this by throwing three large dressers and a piano at John from a nearby apartment. A quick banishing spell had stunned the spirit for a short time, giving John time to get out in one piece, more or less. Now he stood over serials killer's grave and if he wasn't made before, he was pissed now. "Time to burn in hell, bastard." John spoke to the earth beneath as he began to dig up the grave.

It had taken him a mere hour to salt and burn the bones effectively stopping the spiritual killing spree. John sat in the small motel room he had acquired, staring absently at the floor. It was now nearly ten thirty at night and there was still no word of his boys. Almost twenty four hours and still nothing. The small amount of worry in the back of John's mind had now sprouted into full panic, something was wrong, something was very wrong. John stood and began pacing the room, ever since the encounter with the demon he had been battling the real fear that he would loose not one, but both of his sons. He has misjudged the demon, he had let his pride get the better of him and it had almost cost him his boys. And ever since then John Winchester had been very careful, sending his sons on smaller jobs, keeping them below the ceiling demon's radar. But now this, how was he supposed to keep his boys safe from this. They were driving, nothing else, just going from one job to another, and now they were no where to be found. It was like a bullet to his soul. They weren't even hunting and something got them.

John's cell rang, breaking him from his trance. He looked quickly at the caller ID, hoping it would be one of his boys, but his breath caught when the name read 'Joshua'. That was who John had tailing the boys before they disappeared, "Joshua, did you find them."

There was a pause on the other end. "No, John. They stopped outside Ellensburg at ten for gas, I followed the route would have taken and got to Seattle about two hours later. I didn't see any sign of the them. No one remembers seeing them after they left Ellensburg. I even took some of the short cuts Dean would have tried and still nothing. I'm sorry, John, I don't know what's happened to them. I called the local police and park services, they are starting aerial searches. John, are you still there?"

"Yeah... I'm here."

"What do you want to do?"

"I'm gonna find my boys."

TBC

Hope to have chapters three and four up in the next few days.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: ok, here it is chapter three. i want to thank everyone for their great reviews. i am using this story to try and break through the writers block i have been suffering while working on a book. it has been a while since anyone has read my work and i just want to thank everyone. it is really helping me along. i am really having alot of fun with this story, more then i thought i would. dont worry, the real action will be coming soon, i am still laying the ground work right now. sorry about all the cliff hangers, but i love suspense. i will try to update as quickly as i can. also, this is all imagination, i am not basing it on any myths, its just my mind.

sadly, i still own nothing.

**SHADOW STALKER**

Chapter 3

Sam awoke slowly, the night air biting the back of his neck. Consciousness did not come easily to him as he fought to wake from his dreams. They were not nightmare, per se, just those strange dreams that plague the mind as it journeys on the road to reality. He kept thinking he saw Dean return to the car or that his father had called them, demanding to know where they were. But as he finally won the battle against sleep he realized that he was still very much alone. Their father had not called, but then, how could he, since they were so far from civilization that they had no reception. He also realized that Dean had yet to return. 'It's just a tape, get over it,' Sam thought. He shifted around again, repositioning his jacket, shivering slightly as a chilling wind blew from somewhere behind the car. Sam knew he had fallen asleep and he began wondering if Dean had come back, and then driven on. The darkness outside the windows was so complete that there was no way of telling if they were in the same spot or miles away. Surly if they finally ran out of gas Dean wouldn't try walking anywhere in the dark. But then Sam's inner voice chimed in saying 'of course he would, he's Dean.'

Sam shifted a little more, noticing there was still no tape in the stereo. So, he thought, they probably haven't driven anywhere, since he was sure Dean would have put in another cassette if he hadn't found the one he was looking for. Sam sighed and looked down at his watch, hitting his head on the passenger window as he jumped up in shock. His digital watched blinked two fifty am. But that was impossible, Sam had checked his watch right after his brother had stormed from the car and distinctly remembered it saying four fifteen am. There was no way he would have slept for almost twenty three hours, and there was no way that Dean would spend that long looking for a tape. Sam took his watch off and began to fiddle with the buttons and displays. Obviously something was wrong with it, he must have laid on it wrong, hit a button somehow, there was no way that time could be right. He knew his mind was making up excuses though; his arm had been resting on his thigh, there was no way he could have hit a button, and no way Dean would have messed with it without waking him up. Sam quickly turned to survey the drivers seat, but it was unchanged from the way Dean had left it. The keys were still in the ignition and the yellow wrappers and coffee cups were still everywhere. It was obvious that Dean had not been back.

Sam was frantic at this point. Twenty three hours and no one had been by the car, no one had found them, their father hadn't found them, and Dean had not returned. Sam quickly reached into the glove box and pulled out two flashlights. He then grabbed the car keys and climbed out of the car, heading for the weapons in the trunk. He had no idea what could have happened to his brother. He knew they were in a mountainous area, perhaps Dean fell in the dark, maybe a bear got him. No, Sam shook himself, he would have heard that, he would have heard Dean. Sam tried to clear his head, he was starting a hunt, a hunt for his brother and he couldn't have his mind racing with the worst case scenarios. Maybe Dean was just lost, but even he found that idea absurd, Dean Winchester wouldn't get lost walking two hundred meters from his car, that just wouldn't happen. Standing over the weapons Sam was at a loss at what to bring, there was no indication that Dean's disappearance was supernatural in nature, but then most of their weapons were designed solely for fighting the creatures of the dark, the idea of Dean being taken down by something normal had never really crossed the younger hunter's mind. Sam compromised by filling a back pack with a little bit of everything. He took the first aid kit in case Dean had fallen, he then tucked a pistol loaded with iron rounds into the waistband of his jeans, and strapped a small knife around his forearm. He placed two shot guns loaded with rock salt into the back pack along with a lighter, salt, light fluid, holy water, a small book of rituals and his father's journal, along with the few provisions the car held, mainly bottled water and candy. Pulling the keys from the trunk Sam took one more look at his cell phone, the no signal message blinking up at him, mocking him. He turned from the car and clicked on his flashlight, sweeping widely across the road in front of him, willing Dean to be somewhere within its reach. Sam wished for nothing more then to see his brother, crouched down over the road looking for his tape, yelling at Sam for over reacting about a broken watch. But something in the back of his mind told him that that was not the case. His watch was fine, but his brother was not, and he berated himself for sleeping as his brother vanished into the shadows.

Sam continued down the lonely highway, noticing how run down it was. 'Some short cut, Dean.' He thought to himself, leave it to his brother to choose the darkest road in the forest. It looked like this strip of asphalt had not been used in years, roots of trees could be seen seeping through the cracks as smaller saplings tugged at its edges, mere years away from taking this strip of land back into the wilderness. "Great, we're lost on an abandoned road. Huh, should have guessed." Sam shrugged to himself as he walked, that was just their luck. After about one hundred meters, Sam felt something small clatter around his feet, looking down he noticed the cassette tape, still intact. Sam picked up Black Sabbath and pocked it, knowing that Dean would be happy to have it returned. Turning back to the car Sam noticed that it was completely lost in the shadows, and he mentally kicked himself for not giving his brother a flashlight earlier. There was no way that Dean would have been able to see anything on this road without a light. He would have had no warning if something had been lucking in the shadows. Sam then began walking along the edges of the road, noticing the steep drop off a few meters off the right side of the shoulder. "Great." He signed, kneeling down and crawling over to the edge, looking for any signs that something had fallen over. He shined the light down as far as it would reach, the faint glow illuminating the forest beneath. Sam knew he wouldn't be able to see his brother from the road above through all the vegetation, the only way to find out what was down there was to climb.

"Dean... Dean, are you down there?" Sam called into the night leaning slightly farther over the edge, careful not to fall himself. "Dean." Sam continued to crawl along the edge of the escarpment on the way back to the car, calling his brother's name every few feet. "Dean, where the hell are you." Sam continued to shout but the night remained deathly silent. After a few more minutes of crawling Sam decided that his current approach wasn't working. He stood and turned to the car, maybe there was something in there to help him climb, he had now convinced himself that his brother had somehow fallen over the edge. But as he swung the light to his left Sam froze, in front of his eyes nothing. The car was gone, no where in sight. He turned around quickly, thinking maybe he had passed it, but the beam of his flashlight still found nothing. That was impossible, he wasn't that far from the car, and he didn't hear anything rolling or driving away, there was no where for the car to go. It was gone, just like his brother, lost somewhere in the night. But Sam knew as well as anyone that things didn't just vanish, people just stop looking, and he would not stop until he found Dean. It was obvious to him now that there was more to these woods then met they eye, and he silently thanked himself for preparing for more then just a fall down the hill. There was something supernatural here, and Sam knew it. He tensed slightly and stretched himself to his full height, eyes taking in all his surroundings, and in that moment Sam turned himself into what he truly was John Winchester's son, a hunter. He shifted the back pack slightly and aimed the light ahead, walking purposefully into the shadows, hunting that which had chosen to hunt them.

Sam walked on for another half an hour, steadily sweeping the flashlight from side to side, his brown eyes searching for signs of his brother, as well as looking for an easy way down the mountain. He knew that it was physically impossible to disappear without a trace, even ghosts and demons couldn't do it. There was always something left behind, be it a sulfur signature, a paper trail, tracks, or an electronic field; whether spirits or people there was always something to follow. As he continued to stare into the night he couldn't help but notice the shadows around him. The way they misted, turned and folded in on themselves, it was almost as though they were alive, and he could see why his brother was swerving. The shadows were so dense that, from a distance, it looked as those something were passing, only to be gone again into the darkness. Sam tightened the grip on his shot gun, having taken it, along with some extra rounds, out of his back pack shortly after the impala had done its disappearing act, and continued on down the road. The wind had picked up slightly, blowing against Sam from all directions, digging deep into his body despite his jacket. As he walked his mind again wandered to Dean and where he could be. 'Maybe something lured us here?' Sam thought to himself. 'Or maybe its a wrong time, wrong place kind of thing.' He continued, finding some solace in his inner monologue. 'I don't remember reading anything about the area though.' But then why would he, they were just passing through, it was Dean that had brought them here, he who had gotten them lost. And Sam could slowly feel the anger growing in him once more.

"God damn it, Dean. You couldn't just follow the map, stay on the highway." Sam said out loud, as if his brother were by his side. "No, you had to find a short cut, had to do it the hard way. And now look at you, You're Lost." Sam shouted the last part, feeling stupid. He was worried, there had been no sign of his brother at all, and now he was also lost in the darkness, deafened by the silence.

The wind began picking up around him, pushing him in all directions, the low moan and creak of the trees breaking the silence. _'Sam.' _The word whispered faintly on the wind, almost lost amid the sudden eruption of noise. _'Sam.'_ Sam spun on the spot, shining his light in all directions. He couldn't tell if he was actually hearing his name, or if it was just his mind playing tricks, the noises nothing more then the wind through the trees.

He mentally shook himself, turned his flashlight forward and continued on. But the wind shot at him, pushing him back, stinging his face with its chill. '_Sam.' _Something was here, something was trying to turn him around. "I wont leave without him." He shouted to the listening night. "I wont let him just disappear."

'_Sam.'_ The wind pushed at him again, so fierce it pushed him from the road, his tall body landing softly in the grass.

"Where the hell is my brother!"

"_Gone.'_'

"No he's not. I will find him." Sam struggled to his feet and push on down the road, his tall frame lost in the shadows, swallowed up by the night.

TBC

more to come soon...


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: ok, i am back again with chapter 4. this one is a little long, it kind of got away from me. i hope you all enjoy it. and i just want to say thank you again for all the reviews, they are wonderful.

i still have yet to aquire Sam, John, or Dean Winchester.

**SHADOW STALKER**

Chapter 4

John Winchester drove through the night, pushing down hard on the accelerator as he raced from Seattle to Ellensburg. He had left his motel shortly after the call from Joshua, his mind racing. The boys were gone, vanished, and it had been that way for twenty four hours. Their disappearance had been reported to the local police, but there was nothing they could do until the morning. John was told to stay put, just in case his boys turned up there, but that was not going to happen. He knew his sons were not just lost, there was no way they would wander through the woods for twenty four hours. At least, John thought, there was no way that Sam would wander through the woods for twenty four hours. Dean, on the other hand, he was not so sure. Ever since the demon Dean had seemed lost to him, a shell of the young man he had been. And though most people failed to notice, or chalked it up to stress, John knew that it was something much more. His eldest son had been through a lot, hell both of them had been, but they were strong, they were fighters. That was until about six months ago, when Dean all but shut down. The accident, and the events afterwards had sent a shock through all of them, but Dean seemed to have suffered the most. He just seemed a little more distant around his family, staying in the back ground when the three of them were together. He followed orders quickly and precisely, never questioning his father, and rarely taking his eyes off Sam. It was as though that little fire that made Dean so mesmerizing had gone out. He was there, almost the same as before, but still so different, a part of his charisma gone. And John didn't know how to fix him.

It wasn't just Dean though, Sam had changed too. He was stronger, more self reliant, and more game for a hunt. But that need for normalcy was gone from him, and that hurt his father to no end. He knew his sons deserved more then what they had been given, and he knew that, given the chance, they could be a great addition to any community. But now it seemed that both boys had abandoned that notion. Sam kept himself more guarded then he had before, staying close by his brother, while Dean just fulfilled his role of protector and soldier. John had been so afraid of loosing his sons, that it had taken him far to long to realize that he may already have. The boys he was searching for now were not the boys he left in Chicago almost a year ago, and that simple fact made John question his actions more then ever.

John mentally shook himself, and turned his attentions back to the task at hand. There was no way he would be able to help his sons emotionally if he never found them. He had been scanning the sides of the road while his truck sped through the darkness, looking for any signs of the impala, but there were none. It was about one thirty in the morning when he arrived in Ellensburg, the last place the boys had been seen. He pulled the truck up into the parking lot of the police station, the place buzzing with activity for such a late hour. There were groups of people scattered throughout the parking lot, as well as a number of ambulances and squad cars. To John it looked like they were planning some kind of siege. He wove his way through the chaos, catching fragments of conversations as he passed, his mind focusing on non of them. He needed to get into the police station, he needed to talk to someone in charge. He couldn't let him self be overwhelmed by the mess around him.

"Excuse me, sir." A young man in a forestry uniform called out to John as he walked toward the building. "Sir." The man tried again, noting the John was ignoring him. "Excuse me." He then grabbed the oldest Winchester by the arm. "If you are here to help with the search all the volunteers are meeting over there." He stated pointing to a large group of people, many looking as though they had never hiked in their lives. '_How are they going to help._' John thought bitterly.

"No, my boys are missing. I need to talk to the sheriff."

"Sam and Dean Miller? Are those your boys?"

John nodded, noting the alias used. It was the one all his contacts knew. It was used only when the authorities needed to be involved, and only then as a last resort. John preferred to go it alone, but when he had to call in professional help, there was no way they were going to know who is boys really were. He wouldn't put his sons in jeopardy like that, he wouldn't have them on the grid. Miller was a common enough name, and the fact that another Sam or Dean Miller had been sighted somewhere else could easily be explained away.

"Yes, those are my boys, do you have any news on them yet?"

"No, Mr. Miller, I'm sorry. All we have to go on so far is the statement their uncle gave us."

"Can I please speak to the person in charge?"

"Yes, Sir. Right this way." The young man led John through the police station and into a crowded back office. There were about fifteen people squeezed into the room, all pouring over maps, marking off grids, and relaying messages to their radios. In the middle of the room John saw Joshua sitting at a desk, talking with another middle aged man. "That's him over there, talking to the boys' uncle."

"Thank you."

"I want you to know, we are going to do everything we can to find them."

"Thank you."

"John." Joshua called, looking up at the gruff sound of his friend's voice. Joshua looked worse for wear, his blue eyes slightly dull, brown hair sticking out at odd angles from under his baseball cap. He also looked like he hadn't slept in days. '_Good,_' John thought to himself. He should be stressed, it was his responsibility to look after them, make sure they got to Seattle. What had he been doing, how had he lost them, why had he stopped following after they left Ellensburg? Why had he just watched them drive into the woods? He didn't even know they were missing until John had called him.

"Sheriff Cadler, this is my brother-in-law, John Miller."

"Hello, I'm sorry we had to meet under these circumstances."

"Do you have any leads on my boys?" John asked after shaking the man's hand. This was no time for idle chit chat.

"Unfortunately no. I thought you were asked to stay in Seattle, in case the boys showed up."

"No offense, Sir, but I know my boys are missing, not lost. Their not just gonna show up in Seattle like nothing has happened."

"And how are you so sure."

"Because, my boys don't get lost, Sheriff. Something happened to them out there, and I want to know what. I'm not just gonna sit around on my ass and wait for the best."

"Excuse me, Mr. Miller, but so far there have been no signs of foul play." The Sheriff began, rising to meet John eye to eye, though the hunter still towered over him. "And as far as we know, they haven't had any accidents either. Now, while we are taking our search seriously, we are still not ruling out the fact that the boys are just lost, or goofing around somewhere."

"Goofing around, are you kidding me. Do you know my boys?" At this the Sheriff shook his head. "I didn't think so. They aren't just lost and they certainly aren't goofing around. When I tell them to be somewhere, they're there. And if they aren't that means something has happened to them."

"John." Joshua put a restraining arm on his friend's shoulder.

"No. I want my boys found, and if I have to take this into my own hands, then I will."

"Mr. Miller, we don't need three people lost up there in the woods. I advise you to stay here."

"They're my sons, my family. I'm not just going to sit around and wait for you all to get your act together."

"Mr. Miller."

"John, calm down. They are doing everything they can. Cut them a break."

"And you." John then turned his anger on Joshua, the real target of his wrath. "I thought you were supposed to be watching them. How the hell could you let this happen. What, you saw them drive off into the sunset and figured you job was over. You were supposed to know their route, know where they might stop. How could you just loose them like that?"

"Their adults, John, they had two hours left, how was I supposed to know they were going to get lost. I'm only human."

"I'm sorry, it's just. They're my boys, they don't just vanish. Joshua, something's wrong."

"I know."

"Look, Mr. Miller. We have a room waiting for you at the local motel, why don't you go back there and get cleaned up. Get some rest. The sun wont be up for another few hours, you are welcome to join the search with us then."

John took one more long look at Joshua before turning to the Sheriff, is gaze falling to the many maps on the table. '_God, there was a lot of ground to cover._' "Thank you." He nodded, then headed out the door.

John drove in silence to the motel, Joshua meeting him there. He knew the search parties would not be able to find the boys. Something had them, something supernatural, he could feel it deep down in his bones. They didn't just crash, or wander off, they were taken; and he would find them. He pulled up into the parking lot of the motel, his room situated in the far corner. He didn't even bother to unpack, just went into the room with his new journal and waited for Joshua to arrive. He needed a plan, and soon, he wasn't sure how long his boys would last. About thirty minutes late Joshua arrived, his arms loaded with books and maps of the area. John helped him lay the materials on the small motel room table, while his friend rifled through the books he had brought.

"There have been a few unexplained disappearances in the area over the years, but noting was ever really made of it. There is a lot of wilderness and many of the roads were built into the sides of cliffs. Apparently it is a dangerous area, and a missing person in not all that unusual."

"What the hell, people go missing on the face of the Earth and no one finds it unusual. What the hell is this world coming too."

"Unfortunately, it happens all the time."

"Not to my boys. What was the route you said Dean would have taken?"

Joshua leaned over the map and traced the route out with a read marker. "This would have been the best choice, its the safest road, plus the most used."

"Are there any shorter routes?"

"Yeah, plenty. A lot of these mountain parks have access roads all over, many of the lead between the highways. They are mainly used by park services and some of the locals, but I checked most of them too, and there was no sign of your sons." Joshua traced a few of the routes he had taken with a blue marker, the cool color linking the highways together in a spider web of ink.

"What do you mean most of them?"

"Well, a lot are abandoned, or closed. There's no reason why the boys would have taken them."

"Maybe they didn't know. If the roads are only used by locals and officials, then maybe Dean took one thinking it was open."

"Don't you think they would have turned around if that were the case?"

"Not if something prevented them."

"John, not everything in this world is the work of supernatural beings. You are just being paranoid."

"Joshua, my sons are missing. They are too good to just get lost, or drive over a cliff. There's something else going on here."

"Are you sure you are not just being paranoid?"

"Excuse me?"

"John, ever since the demon.." Joshua stopped short, seeing the look of abject anger on his friend's face. "All I'm saying is that there are a lot of people that are worried about you. You and your son's, your targets. We all know that, but that doesn't mean that everything that happens to you is the work of a demon."

"Something is wrong here, and I will get to the bottom of it with, or without your help."

"You know I'll help. But just give the search parties some credit too. Because, if this does turn out to be a normal accident, their our best chance."

"I know."

"So, what's your first move."

John had been studying the map over intensely during the conversation and had focused his attention on a specific road. It was small compared to the others on the map, barely even marked, but looked like a possible candidate. It snaked its way along a particularly deep escarpment along a valley in the Wenatchee National Forest, and would have let the boys out right the north of Seattle, just were John had asked. "What about this road?"

"Shadow Pine Highway?"

"Yeah, do you know it?"

"It was an old logging trail, but its been out of service for years. There's no way they would have taken that."

"Its not marked as being closed on the map. How far can you get until it become impassable?"

"The actual road ends about thirty five miles before Richmond Highlands, but it branches off all over. Its a hard road to follow."

"Why is it called Shadow Pine Highway?"

"Well, when it was being built a few of the workers went crazy, claimed the shadows up there were alive, stealing them from their tents as they slept. A few of the men even through themselves over the cliffs, just trying to get away from the darkness. Parts of the road were turned into hiking trails later, but even the locals stayed away. One witness said he saw a shadow come out of no where and swallow his friend whole. But he was later arrested for murder, his friend's body was found at the bottom of the cliff."

"And no one thought this was strange."

"Its a long, dark, winding road. It should never have been built, its dangerous."

"Then that's where we start looking."

"Why."

"Because, Joshua, with our luck that is exactly where they are."

About an hour later John drove silently down the road, on his way to Shadow Pine Highway, Joshua sitting quietly in the seat beside him. He seemed distracted to John and almost a little jumpy. Joshua was one of John's most trusted contacts, besides Caleb and Jim, and it was a position that he had earned. He had been on many hunts with John when the boys were younger and he had proven himself time and time again. So the fact that he was so jumpy had John a little on edge.

"What's wrong."

"Its this stretch of road, John. I did some more research while you were getting ready. Turns out not many people come back from here. And the ones that do, they were insane, driven mad by something. One man was so terrified that he jumped from the window of the hospital. Another, a twenty three year old girl when in, came back out four months later, hair white as snow, never said a word again. Are you sure your boys are down that road."

"They have to be, every other road is populated, someone would have seen them."

"I don't know about this."

"All we can do is be prepared. Any idea what is haunting this place."

"None, the only thing the witnesses said they saw were shadows, very dark shadows, that seemed almost alive."

"Lets just hope we can find the boys without having to deal with one of these shadows."

"That's a nice thought."

"I try." John then fell silent when he saw the turn off to Shadow Pine Highway. If he didn't know any better, he'd say the road looked like something out of a horror movie. The sign hung limply on the side of the pole wavering slightly in the breeze, while large pine tree hung over the entrance. And the darkness, the darkness was so complete that it unnerved even John. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and he could feel a cold chill run the length of his body. This was definitely some place he did not want to be. '_Damn it, Dean, you can really pick 'um.' _John turned down the road, watching the thick shadows dance across the road before him, hoping that his boys had the sense to turn around, he really didn't want to go that far along this road.

However, it seemed that no one was listening to his silent prayers at that moment, and after almost three hours of driving, he was still searching the desolate blacktop before him, looking for some sign of his boys. The shadows around seemed to encroach upon the highway, swirling and misting across the asphalt, making John swerve, he couldn't tell if they were shadows or animals crossing his path. Then, out of the darkness he saw it, a vision so terrifying, and relieving that he didn't know whether to exhale or hyperventilate. He could see it before him, as if emerging from a deep black cocoon, its chrome details sparkling like stars in the night, there, two hundred meters ahead, sat the impala.

John quickly pulled up beside he son's beloved car, already knowing that he would find it empty. He could feel it, deep in his bones, his sons were not there. As he ran over to the driver's side his suspicions were confirmed when he saw a wide array of candy wrappers and coffee cups, but no boys, the keys were also missing. '_So, they had gone somewhere willingly.' _he though "But where?" He muttered aloud. He continued to study the impala, looking for any trace of his children, any sign telling which way they had gone. He hadn't noticed that Joshua was still in the truck, staring intently at John. He had also failed to notice the dark, soundless shadow that at formed behind him, encasing both him and the impala in darkness, invisible to the night. And he didn't hear the engine of his truck roar to life, or that last words of his friend as he backed into the night. "You should have just left it all alone, John. This is bigger then all of us." And with that the truck disappeared back down the highway, the growl of its engine drown out by the silence of the night. And once again the road was empty, save for the shadows.

TBC

until next time :)


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: wow, ok, sorry about the wait, i have had two very long days at work. also, this chapter ended up being pretty long. i was going to make it two seperate, longer chapters, but i wanted to get into the action so i condensed them. i also want to apologise for all the typos in the last chapter, a swear i proof read it twice, i must have just been really tired :) sorry.

again, i want to thank everyone for the reviews, i am glad you like the story, i am having alot of fun writing it. and for anyone wondering Joshua is not my character. he is one of john's contacts from the show. he is mentioned in "faith" (he's the one that told sam about the healer) and i am not sure if they mention him again. i just liked the idea of bringing some of the people from the show to life :)

well then, with out further ranting, on with the chapter.

D: i own nothing here, not even washington state or joshua (as mentioned above) :(

**SHADOW STALKER**

Chapter 5

_Tuesday, 4.12 am_

"God damn stupid, lazy, punk as little brother, throwing my stuff out of the car. Couldn't even get his ass up to help me. I should have thrown him out the window." Dean mumbled angrily as he stormed away from the car, searching the dark ground before him for any sign of his precious tape. "I should throw his stuff out of the car, see how he likes it." He continued ranting as he shuffled his feet along the ground, listening for the clatter of the plastic cassette. He knew that there was no way he was going to find it in the dark, but that wasn't going to stop him from looking. He contemplated returning to the impala for a flashlight, but quickly banished that idea. He really didn't want to face Sam again so soon.

He knew that they were lost, very lost, and the last thing he needed was to listen to his younger brother whine about it. Sam had succeeded in one thing though, he had killed his brother's caffeine buzz completely. "Great, so now I'm mad and tired, and crazy. Stupid, Dean, stop talking to yourself." He shook his head as he continued on down the road, his dying sugar rush making him just a little delusional.

He continued walking slowly through the night, every now and again kicking his feet and looking around, the search for the tape fading away with each step he took. He just needed to get away, even if it was only for an hour. He just needed to be alone. His mind invited the silence that had descended so deeply around him, the sound of his footsteps the only hint of noise. He was tired, but not just physically tired, he was tired of everything. There were times when he wanted nothing more then to just step out of his body, and walk away from it all, just for a little while. Every time he closed his eyes, he could see his father's eyes staring back, the usual hazel irises a sickening shade of yellow. And every time he tried to sleep he could hear those words carried by his father's voice. '_They don't need you, not like you need them.'_ He knew that, he had always known that, and until that night it hadn't really bothered him. At least that is what he told himself. But now those words were bouncing around inside his head, driving him crazy.

'_What was the point?'_ Dean found himself asking that question a lot lately. What would his purpose be after the hunt was over? And if it was never over, well what then. It was like a double edged sword, no matter what happened, things would never be the way Dean wanted them to be. Because, no matter what happened, there was no way to return to the past. He was a grown man now, as was his brother, and the idea that they would be together as they were when they were children was far fetched, even to Dean. '_I guess you cant go home again._' He thought almost bitterly. '_This is what I have now.'_ He made the best of it though, and he never complained. He knew, more then the rest of his family, that the here and now was all they had, and all that there was to have. He didn't bother planning for the future, because, in his mind, there was a very real possibility that he would not have one. Dean understood that, and he accepted that. He also didn't waste copious amounts of time pining for the losses of his past, swearing revenge on everything that had wronged him. No, Dean Winchester lived in the moment, and he always would. He cherished the things he had, but he also knew that all of it could be lost in an instant. He realized how the world worked, accepted it, and moved on. Though there was always that part of his mind that held on to his long buried desire, that need to have his family by his side forever, and that was what drove him.

He had been walking for quite some time when he decided to turn around. He wanted nothing more then to remain out there alone, surrounded my the peaceful darkness, but he knew that was unwise. If not for his own safety then for Sammy's. He knew that Sam was probably worrying himself sick, wondering where his brother had gone. Dean could picture him, his younger brother sitting in the passenger seat of the impala biting his nails and squirming around, blaming himself for all his big brothers problems. His nose was probably scrunched up and his teeth were clenched, the way they also were when he was nervous. He was probably staring straight ahead, his mind jumping from one worst case scenario to another. Dean eaten by a bear, Dean fallen down a cliff, Dean abducted by a twelve year old hillbilly. He silently chuckled to himself as he turned around and made his way back to the car, if there was one thing Dean knew, it was his little brother.

Dean couldn't help but notice the shadows as he walked back along the desolate road. There was something about them, something that was both mesmerizing and terrifying. They were alive, '_no not alive'_, he thought, they were the shadows of things that had once been. Some looked like animals, while other looked humans. He could feel them staring at him, reaching for him as he walked and he silently quickened his pace. He didn't like the feel of them, and the way they misted in and out of his vision. He felt defenseless, and awkward. It was like they could reach into his soul. They tugged at his sanity, and floated through his mind. And they seemed to be enjoying it, some appearing far in the distance, a mirage in the dark, while others materialized in an instant, mere inches from his face, causing him to stumble in his haste as he tried to get away. They seemed to be pushing him from all directions, taunting him, laughing at him. He swatted blindly at the air, trying to push them away, keep them from him mind.

He stumbled further along the road, his walking faster and more erratic with each step. He could feel them swarming him, whispering to him, their voices like razors in the cold night.

'_Alone...forgotten...left.'_ They chanted around him on the ever increasing winds, the forest moaned and shifted, as if making room for the influx of shadows. He could feel the wind cut deep through his jacket, gusts like arms pulling him, grabbing him. He was pushed to the right, stumbling into the think growth on the side of the road. "Get the hell away from me!" He screamed, anger and a slight hint of fear lacing his voice. "Leave me the hell alone."

'_Alone...forgotten...left...unwanted.'_

"Shut up. You're all lucking I'm not packing. I'd shoot you all full of salt." He continued to yell back at the night, still fighting his way from the side the road. "You just wait till I get some weapons, then we'll see how tuff your whispering ass is."

'_Dean.'_ The wind and whispering picked up speed with that one word, as if just by naming him the forest could feel his strength. '_Dean.'_

"What!" He shouted pulling himself up from where he had fallen, stumbling as the wind one again tried to push him down.

'_Your lost.'_

"I know that, thanks!"

'_Lost to them, all of them.'_

"What?"

'_You're ours... You're mine.'_ Dean didn't have time to answer, his eyes growing wide in horror as he watched a gale wind race down the highway towards him. He had no time to react, and the next thing he knew the wind blew him back, sending him over the edge of the cliff he didn't even know he was standing on.

Pain, that was all there was, darkness and an almost unbearable pain. He stayed there, breathing heavily, willing the pain away. '_At least I'm not dead.'_ He thought as he continued to lay stretched across the angled ground beneath him. "Oh, god. I hate nature." Dean said aloud finally managing to pry his eyes open. His head was throbbing and he wanted nothing more then to squeeze his eyes closed again and give into unconsciousness. But he knew that wasn't an option, he had to stay focused. He had to get to Sam, make sure he was safe from the shadows. Slowly the world before him came into focus and he was relieve to see daylight. Or as much daylight as he could have hoped for. The entire forest around him was blanketed in a deep, unnatural gray fog, blocking out the sun, and cooling the ground beneath him. Dean shivered slightly and tried to pull his jacket tighter, but quickly regretted both movements. His body was killing him, even his hair hurt, and he fought to keep the pain induced nausea at bay.

He slowly turned his green eyes skyward, his gave searching for the ledge he had fallen from. There, about four hundred meter above him he saw the road. '_Great_;' he thought, '_at least it wasn't that steep.'_ "If I had to go over a ledge at least it was one I could role down." He joked to himself as he continued to survey his surroundings, still moving nothing but his eyes. He has slid about half way down an escarpment between two plateaus, his body now laying amid boulders, grass and trees. He felt like he must have hit everything in his path on the way down.

"Crap." He laid still for another few moment, gathering all his inner strength, preparing for the agony any movement would cause him. Taking a deep breath, Dean decided he was ready and then began to lift himself up, taking in the extent of his injuries. He managed to push himself up slightly on his left elbow, his weak body shaking violently from the cold and effort. His ribs were on fire, but by the sheer grace of god, he thought, they appeared only to be bruised. His right wrist was throbbing and one look at the offending joint told him it was broken. "Great." He then continued down his body, a large pool of blood grabbing his attention. He quickly looked up the mountain and saw the cause, about one hundred meter above him sat a group of razor sharp, blood soaked rocks. "Wonderful." He pulled up his shirt to survey the damage, wincing when he saw his torso. Low to the right side of his abdomen about two inches above his hip bone was a four inch bloody gash. Lowing his tee and outer shirt back down he pushed down hard on the wound, letting a scream of pain pass his lips as he did so. The blood slowly soaked through both shirts, staining his hand a shade of crimson, but he still pressed down, only stopping when the blood flow lessened to a trickle.

"Not too bad," he moaned, "all things considered." He looked back up at the road above, for a fall like that he could have faired much worse. He gathered what strength he had left and began to push himself to his feet, he needed to get himself back up to the road.

He was halfway up on his left leg when he placed his right down for balance. But the moment he placed his weight on the leg he screamed out in agony, falling back to the rocky ground. He screamed out again as he mistakenly tried to use his right arm to break his fall. Tears stung his eyes and he lost control of his stomach, the pain pushing the contents of his stomach back to the world. Then he laid there, painful tears streaming unstoppable down his face, his body sweating from exertion and shaking from shock. His right leg was on fire, in more pain then he thought was even possible. And he knew then, he hadn't just dislocated his knee cap, he had broken it.

"Damn it." He wheezed, his body still reeling from the assaulting pain, fresh blood seeping down from a head wound he had also missed earlier. "Damn it." He breathed again through clenched teeth, his still shaking left hand covering is eyes. Dean laid there for what seemed like hours, trying to gather himself together, his mind fighting against the pain that was assaulting his body. He took a few more deep breaths, finally gaining some control over himself and looked down at his watch. "Great," his moaned angrily, it was broken. He then reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He let out a long breath he didn't even know he had been holding when it flickered to life, the only damage being a cracked screen.

"At least something is going right." His joy was short lived, however, when he flipped the phone open and saw he had no signal. "Just my luck. How am I gonna call Sam now?" '_Call Sam'_ his inner voice reasoned, and then it dawned on him. He couldn't have been that far from the car when he had fallen, he could literally call out for Sam, he was sure the echo of the mountains could carry his voice the few hundred meters up the escarpment.

"SAM." Dean yelled as loud as his injured body would let him. "SAMMY...I NEED HELP." He laid there silently for a few moment, waiting for something, the forest around him deathly silent. '_Too silent.'_ Dean thought. There were no birds, no squirrels, no bears, no bugs. No anything, just lonely silence. Dean took another long breath to calm himself, bars of Metallica already drifting into his worried mind. He couldn't panic, Sam was fine, he would find him. "SAM!" He screamed again, but again only silence answered.

After another two hours of laying there, calling for his brother, he decided that if he wanted to get rescued, then he would have to do it himself. '_Sammy's gonna get an earful from me when I drag my ass back up that hill.'_ He laid back, taking another deep breath, and dug his elbows into the dirt, pushing his sore body into a sitting position. He then gingerly shrugged off his jacket and outer shirt, the cool fall air biting his now exposed arms, making is wrist throb. He put the jacket over his shoulders then carefully started tearing the shirt into strips. He used one strip as a kind of ace bandage for his wrist first, thankful that it helped lessen the pain. He then took another strip and wrapped it around his head, smiling at himself for a moment, he must have looked like he escaped from a bad eighties dance movie with that thing around his head. He followed that thought by wrapping another strip around his stomach, for both the cut and ribs. He then found two large sturdy sticks near by and went to work on his knee. It was no easy task, and forty five minutes, and two bouts with nausea later, he looked down at his leg with a manic pride. '_Boy scouts of America, eat your hearts out.'_

Satisfied that it was the best he could do he pulled another large stick from the ground beside him, it looked like it would reach at least to his chin. He then wedged it between two rocks and wrapped his right arm around it, careful not to hit his wrist. And with a strength that would amaze anyone, Dean pulled himself to his feet, arms wrapped tightly around the stick. He then took another deep breath, and leaning almost entirely on the walking stick began to make his way through the woods.

High above this scene the shadow stood perched precariously on a ledge. At first sight he looked like a man, his long coat slapping around his knees in the breeze, but on second sight it was obvious that he was not whole. He stood there like an obscene optical illusion, misting in and out of focus, real and faded in the same moment. His cold gray eyes stared down intently at the young man struggling in the forest below, his beloved brother and car a mere six hundred meters away. He could feel the fear in the air, feel the torment and pain. He breathed in deep, savoring the aroma of chaos, and loss. He could feel his strength growing, both from the brothers and from the spirits they attracted. His forest grew with the shadows of emotions, his body a beacon for the echoes of despair, the energy on anger. This was his field, his domain, his time. He saw the dark masses of grief as they floated across the country to him, filling his forest with their darkening haze. He lifted up his arms and the winds swirled to him, carrying the emotions, the deaths, the lives, the energies of millions to him, empowering him. With another great breath he looked once more at the scene below him, his body aching for the strength it was about to entrap. He had the Winchester boys, the trophies of the supernatural world. So many would hunt them, so many would come to his forest to torment them, take them. And he would feed off all the despair and anger they brought with them. '_Yes'_ he whispered as he closed his steely eyes, he could already feel the powers that the two boys were unknowingly drawing to themselves. All he had to do was keep them beaten, keep them lost, and they would be his forever. He then opened his eyes and lowered his hands, ushering in the early twilight, sending the forest into an unnatural night, as he too disappeared away into the falling shadows.

TBC

next chapter probably wont be till about thursday or friday, tomorrow is another very long day of work.

until then :)


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: i'm back, sorry for the wait, i was busy at work. i want to again thank everyone for the reviews. i didnt get quite as many as last time, i hope you all arent loosing interest. so here it is, chapter six hope you all like it

**SHADOW STALKER**

Chapter 6

Sam continued into the dark night, his long strides carrying him quickly down the road. He continued to sweep the flashlight back and forth across the highway, his brown eyes scanning the shadows, trying to see past their oblivion. The wind had begun to lessen as he walked and the sounds of the night had once again grown still. He had been looking for Dean for about three hours at that point, his search still turning up no trace of his brother. '_Come on, a person cant just disappear into thin air.' _Sam knew that he needed to find a safe way down the mountain, but in the darkness he couldn't see all the way to the bottom of the escarpment. He didn't know if he would only make it to a certain point and then have to turn back, and he knew he couldn't waste that kind of energy. Dean was out there somewhere and Sam knew that something was very wrong. He needed to save all his energy for his brother.

Dean had been there for him so many times, had always hidden his pain away, was always strong for him, and Sam desperately needed to return that favor. After what the Demon had said to them Sam found himself trying to show Dean just how important he really was. But then, he would pull something like he did earlier, let Dean push him until he did something stupid. He had thrown one of his brother's prized cassette tapes out the window of a moving car, then forced said brother to go out and get it himself without even bothering to give him a light. '_Great way of showing your love, Sam.'_ He shook his head and kicked at the rocks along the ground. Why did Dean always have to make everything so difficult. Why couldn't he just be a normal brother.

But then, what was normal in the Winchester's lives. '_Dean was,' _Sam smiled to himself. Dean was the normalcy that held the family together. He was the constant. Sam knew that he could always count on him, and that their father could always count on him. When something was wrong, when something was hard, when someone was missing or in danger, Dean would always be there. You never needed to ask, just look around and he would come to the rescue, guns blazing. And that simple fact was the most normal part of all of Sam's life. Even when he was at school, the mere idea of Dean would always put his heart and soul to rest, would always make him feel just a little more sane. But ever since his brother took him from school that Halloween night, the very foundation of Sam's life had begun to crumble. The longer he was on the road the more he came to realize that his brother, his one constant, had become a stranger to him. He never thought about Dean's fears until St. Louis, but ever since then he could see what it was he had been missing.

Dean was a mess, lost in the unpredictability of their lives. Dean was Sam's constant, but what was Dean's? It unnerved Sam to no end, and after the encounter with the Demon, his world had begun to crumble at an alarming rate. Dean had nearly died that night, and Sam understood then, that without him there would be no Winchesters. He and his father would not continue to hunt together without Dean, that Sam knew for sure. So, he made a promise to his unconsciousness brother all those months ago; he would not take him for granted anymore. He would show his brother just how much he needed him, how much he cared. Unfortunately, that was easier said then done.

Sam was brought back to reality by a sharp sound in the woods to his left. He quickly turned in the direction of the noise, shining his light into the shadows between the trees. Nothing. All he could see were the shadows dancing just at the edge of sight, misting in and out before his eyes, dulling his mind with an eerie confusion. He heard another twig snap a few feet down the road, his eyes still scanning for the culprit. But again, there was nothing. Sam took one more long look into the forest, then turned his light back on to the road and continued his slow progress along the edge of the cliff, looking for someway down the side. He stole another glance at his watch, '_6.30 am_, _it should be light soon.'_ Sam knew that his search would go much better in the daylight.

He had walked about another hundred meters when he felt the winds around him begin to increase once more. He turned up the collar of his jacket, trying in vain to shield himself from the cold, but the winds just kept blowing, pushing against him from all directions. He could hear a distant laugher ringing in his ears, as though the winds had carried it from miles away. But it wasn't just the laugher he was hearing; there were, mixed in with the wind, thousands of different sounds. Crying, yelling, laughing, moaning, cursing, singing, wailing. And with these countless sounds came a rush of raw, pure emotion. So strong that it knocked the air out of Sam's lungs. Pain, anger, love, mistrust, fear, hatred, hope, they all bombarded his brain, strained his senses. He fell to his knees in the soft grass beneath him, perched precariously on the edge of the drop. He held his arms tightly over his ears, willing the sounds and emotions to stop. His mind swam with all the turmoil, his head feeling like it would split in two.

"STOP!" He screamed into the night, hunching far over his knees, pushing his forehead to the cool ground, trying to make the pain cease. "STOP IT. PLEASE!" But the pain just increased tenfold, forcing the young hunter all the way to the ground. Sam laid there, curled into a fetal position, tears streaming unbidden down his face. The pain was more then he could bear, it was far worse then anything he had endured during one of his visions. He could feel the blood pouring from his nose as the emotions around him increased again. Lust, greed, revenge, denial, wrath. And he screamed, screamed out for the pain it was causing him.

He could feel the anger, feel the fear, the lust, the hate. He could feel them all, tearing into his body in rapid succession, burrowing deep into his soul. "Dean." Sam all but whispered as the pain ran through him once more. "Please make it stop." He could feel himself slipping way, drowning beneath the waves of emotions. They were killing him, draining him, and driving him crazy. The only thought in his mind was that he had to get away, had to make them stop. His body went into a sort of autopilot, his mind too drained by the attack to protest his movements. He could feel himself climbing to his hand and knees, crawling towards the edge of the cliff.

"Make it stop, please. Oh god, I just have to make it stop." He whispered as he moved closer to the edge, his mind barely registering what was about to happen. He could feel the grass beneath him begin to slide as his body pitched dangerously into the nigh, half in the air, half on solid ground.

"SAMMY!" Sam heard his name screamed into the night. Someone was calling him. Or was it just the wind, reeking havoc with his already tired mind, his body still slipping slowly over the edge. "Get the hell away from my son!" Sam heard the gruff voice continue, his hazy mind still trying to hold onto the night. He vaguely registered a strange feeling, almost like it was raining, before an ear splitting screech echoed through the night.

And then, in one instant, Sam's mind cleared completely, just as his body finally tipped over the cliff. "Dad!" Sam called as he grabbed maniacally for something to hold onto as he went over the side. His hands found a large root as he pitched forward, and holding on with all the strength he could Sam swung down over the side, hanging dangerously over the sloping ground.

John watched in horror as he saw his youngest son disappear over the edge of the cliff, his tall body sliding away into the star less night. "Sam." He raced forward to try and catch his feet but missed my mere inches. "Sammy!"

"I'm here." He heard his son answer, and let out a long calming breath. He then shined a small flashlight down, and saw Sam hanging from a root about four feet below him.

"Do you think you can reach me?"

"Yeah, I think so." Sam pushed his feet into the rocks and pulled himself up as far as he could, easily reaching his father's outstretched arm. He then felt himself being pulled up to safety, his mind still reeling from the recent attack.

"Are you ok?" John asked, as soon as Sam was safely away from the edge.

"Yeah, I'm ok."

"Your bleeding."

"Just my nose, nothing major. What did you do?"

"One of the shadows, it was wrapped around you, I sprayed it with holy water. I heard you screaming down the road, and when I got here you were trying to jump off the cliff. What the hell were you thinking?" He asked, holding his son tightly by the shoulders, afraid that if he let him go he would fall again.

"I wasn't really thinking at all. Dad, it hurt so much, I just wanted it to stop, I didn't know I was on the edge until I fell over." Sam answered, shrugging out of his fathers tight grasp.

"What do you mean it hurt?" John asked as he pulled his youngest son to his feet, immediately surveying him for the source of the pain. "I don't see any wounds, Sammy."

"It was more mental. It just kept bombarding me with all these emotions. I could feel everyone one of them. My head felt like it was going to explode. Thank god you were here. Wait, where'd you come from?" Sam pulled back, surveying his father. In all the commotion he failed to realize that his father should not have been there.

"You two never showed up in Seattle."

"Yeah, but how the hell did you find us way out here?"

"I had you tailed from the last job. I knew you were last seen in Ellensburg so I went there to pick up the trail. And this seemed like a Dean kind of short cut."

"You had us tailed? Do you not trust us or something?"

"No, Sam. It's just that I wanted to know you two were safe."

"Is that a new thing?"

"Honestly, no. You think I would let you or Dean hunt alone without someone watching your backs. It's not that I don't have faith in your abilities." He added quickly, seeing the indignant look on his son's face. "I just, I feel better knowing where you are."

"Does Dean know you have people follow him all over?" Sam asked. He didn't know what emotion to feel at that point. Part of him was angry that his father had them tailed without their knowledge. Part of him was embarrassed for not realizing earlier. And another part of him felt glad, and safe. For so long he thought his father had abandoned them, but now he realized just how close he had really been, and it was comforting.

"What do you think." John smiled, Dean would not be happy about it at all. "Where is your brother?" In all the drama of finding Sam, John had failed to notice that Dean was missing. He had just blended into the back ground a little too much lately, and he had become somewhat easy to miss. Sam looked quickly down at the ground and began to push the rocks around with his feet, a motion not unnoticed by his father.

"Sam, where's your brother." But Sam continued to stare at the ground. "Sam, answer me, that's an order." John took a deep breath and began to prepare himself for another argument with his son. Sam could always find some flaw in the way he ran things, in the way he treated both him and his older brother. He knew he had made mistakes, and if he could he would turn the world upside down to fix them. He didn't want this life for his children, and he hated himself for all the pain he had caused them. But the last thing he needed was to listen to Sam pick apart every aspect of his life, belittle every path he had chosen. However, when his son finally raised his head he was caught completely off guard. Instead if seeing brown eyes rimmed with anger, he saw brown eyes rimmed with tears as his son took in a ragged breath. '_Oh god, where was Dean.'_

"Sam."

"I don't know, Dad. I've been looking for three hours, but I don't know. I'm sorry."

"When did you last see him? Where was he?" John immediately went into hunter mode, asking all the pertinent questions while scanning the area around him. He looked over to his youngest and saw that his head was bowed yet again, eyes fixed on the road.

"I'm so sorry, Dad. I don't know how I could do it. He's always there for me." He then looked up, eyes shining with unshed tears. "How could I let him down."

"Sammy please, where is he?"

"We were fighting, I threw one of his cassette tapes out the window. He went to get it, that was the last time I saw him."

"When?"

"Twenty six hours ago."

"What! You just said you were only looking for the past three. What the hell were you doing for the other twenty three hours?"

"I fell asleep. Dad, I didn't mean to. Something must have done it to me."

"You slept for twenty three hours while god knows what happened to your brother." John answered angrily. He had taught his boys so much and this was how they acted.

"I'm sorry."

"Did he having anything with him other then a flashlight?"

"He didn't have one."

"He didn't have a light?"

"He stormed off, I didn't think he was going that far, I didn't think he needed one."

John took a long calming breath before he continued, his anger raising. "How could you be so irresponsible?"

"Dad, we had a fight he was driving me crazy. I didn't know this would happen." Sam answered angrily, looking up at his father.

"Didn't know. Sam, you sent your brother out into the woods in the middle of the night without any protection, without even a light, because you were mad. Son, you know what's out there, you know what can be hiding in the dark."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry isn't enough, Sam. After everything your brother's done for you this is how you repay him."

"Don't you dare throw that back in my face. Don't you think I know what he's done for me. Don't you think I care. It was a mistake, Dad. You think I haven't been beating myself up for the last three hours. I've been going out of my mind, ever scenario going from bad to worse. I don't know what I'll do if I cant find him." Sam took another long ragged breath as he turned from his father, fear evident in his voice. Over the past hour he had been thinking non stop. What if he never found Dean? How would he tell his father. Hell, forget his father, how would live with himself if he never found him. He knew without a doubt that all this was his fault. He should never have pushed his brother like that. He should have used his common sense, been alert, been ready.

Over the past six months he had lived by the mantra 'better safe then sorry,' and then when it really mattered he had screwed up. Again. And now his brother was paying the price. After what the Demon had told him, Sam had sworn to himself to be a better hunter, to always be prepared, to be more like his father. He knew now that the Demon was after him specifically, and that it would not stop until one of them was dead. And he was determined that it would not be him. But with his new found vengeance also came a new fear. The Demon had killed his mother and girlfriend because they were in the way, they were protecting him. And now something else stood between him and the Demon, his brother Dean, and he would be damned if he was going to loose someone else to that son of a bitch.

"I should have been protecting him, I should have been watching out for him. I screwed up, Dad. I'm sorry."

"It's ok, Son. I know you didn't mean any harm. It's just, I cant loose anyone else. I just cant."

"I know, me either."

"How much do you have in that back pack?"

"Not much, we probably need more. How far is your truck."

"It's missing. I left Joshua with it when I checked the impala, and when I turned back around it was gone."

"Joshua?"

"He's the one that was tailing you. I didn't even hear him drive off, I searched the entire area, I even tried calling him but still noting. We took the history of these woods, Sammy, and it doesn't look good. I have no idea what could have happened, but then I found your tracks so I followed. Then I hear you screaming."

"Wait, you found the impala?"

"I didn't know it was missing."

"When Dean didn't come back I got out and looked for him, I thought maybe he fell over the edge, but when I turned around the car was gone. It couldn't have been more then one hundred meters away, Dad, and I didn't hear anything. It was just gone."

"Well it's up here on the shoulder, about two miles."

"Something's going on here, Dad."

"I know, but right now lets just get to the car, then find your brother. We can come back and deal with this place another time."

"What about Joshua?"

"Lets just hope he managed to get himself out somehow. But if not, we'll look for him after we help your brother."

"All right."

They walked on quietly, both men lost in thought. John was worried sick about his oldest son, he had been missing and alone for over twenty four hours, twenty four hours Sam had somehow slept through. He knew it wasn't the young man's fault, there was no way he would willing sleep for that long. Something out there wanted them separated. And he knew, deep inside, that Dean had somehow gone over the edge of the escarpment, and he only hoped that he had made it through the fall. What really had him worried was the fact that it had been so long. He knew that Dean had no supplies and almost no weapons. If the fall was bad, then the last twenty six hours were brutal. He silently quickened his pace. He had to get to Dean, sooner rather then later.

About twenty minutes later the two hunters rounded a corner, a few hundred meters from where John had last seen the classic car. But, to his horror, there was nothing there, only darkness and shadows, even the weak light of the coming sunrise didn't reveal the missing car.

"Damn it. What the hell is going on."

"We should have guessed really."

"Yeah, I figured that now, since I don't see the car."

"Sorry. Did you get any supplies out before you found me?"

"Three guns, a knife, some holy water, and of few rosaries."

"Damn it."

"We can defend ourselves."

"That's not what I'm worried about. We only have a little bit of water and even less food. The shadows don't need to kill us, we'll starve first."

"Damn it." John echoed his son's response. "We'll think of something."

"Yeah." Sam answered quietly, staring down the road into the coming dawn, the pale light a welcome sight. "Hey, Dad."

"Yeah, Sam?"

"Your rescue leaves a lot to be desired."

"Yeah well, I wasn't finished working on my plan."

"Uh huh."

"Who knew we would manage to loose both cars and Dean."

"I know, I thought we were supposed to be the best."

"Lets just not mention this one to anyone else."

"Deal." They then walked together down the highway, and finding a safe path, began to make their way down the side of the hill, oblivious to the shadowy gray eyes staring down from overhead

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: ok, here is chapter 7. it's a bit shorter then the rest, but it should still be good. the action is going to start picking up really soon. i hope no one is getting bored with it. thank you again to everyone for the reviews. i love writing dialogue, so i am really happy that some of the characters are together again too. so, on with the next chapter.

**SHADOW STALKER**

Chapter 7

Joshua looked deep into the darkness, his fear growing with each passing minute. The darkness was unfathomably dense, and he could feel it seeping into his mind, stealing away his thoughts. This wasn't right, it couldn't be. He had been driving for three and a half hours, but somehow he was still on Shadow Pine Highway. '_This cant be, we only drove for three hours.'_ Joshua knew that he should have made it back to the main road by now, or at least seen some signs that he was going in the right direction. But there was nothing. '_The road was straight.'_ He told himself, knowing that he hadn't missed any turnoffs. This just wasn't right.

He pressed down harder on the accelerator, wishing for nothing more then to be out of that god forsaken forest. He should never have let John drag him in there, they had no business there. Boys or no boys, Joshua knew that they never should have gone down that highway. He continued to stare into the darkness ahead, the headlights of the truck barely reaching more then a few feet ahead. He swerved dangerously across the road, shadows jumping out at him like animals from the tree line, taunting him, chasing him. He took one shaking hand off the steering wheel and ran it down his worn face. This was not going well.

Then ahead of him, just at the edge of his vision he saw another shadow form, clearer then all the rest. "Shit." He swerved hard to the right, the truck running into the forest. He braced himself against the steering wheel as the car came to an abrupt stop among the trees. Doing a quick check of his body he let out a long sigh when he realized that nothing had been broken. He then rested his head back and let out another long breath, willing away the fear that was pushing its way deep into his soul.

"I didn't want him here."

Joshua let out a short screech and jumped up in the seat, the top of his head hitting the roof on the car. "I tried." He said a few moments later, his mind still racing, his eyes still refusing to look at the shadow sitting beside him. He was like a man, but not quite, almost like a half finished portrait. There was an outline, and there were features, but he was still not completely whole. And that terrified the seasoned hunter. It was like this man was stuck somewhere between the living and the dead.

"Obviously you didn't try hard enough." His voice was so cold it felt like ice hitting Joshua's face. Its tone sounding almost like a faded echo, its sound on the edge of dying whispers. A voice like a shadow itself. "I didn't want John Winchester involved. Not yet anyway."

"His sons were missing."

"This I know. I had not asked you to keep him away forever, just long enough."

"There was no way he wasn't going to look for his kids."

"But you could have had him look somewhere else." The shadow answered, its voice dripping with an intense anger, an anger Joshua could feel. It was cutting into him, expanding inside his mind, clouding his eyes.

"Why haven't I gotten out of the forest yet. I thought you said I was safe here."

"That I did, as long as we had our bargain. But we don't have that now do we. All I wanted were the boys. You were to lead them here, tell them about the shortcut, and you were to lead the father away. So it seems to me that you have forfeited our agreement."

"What! No, I got you the boys, and even if John his here too, he is lost right along with them."

"True."

"So, why am I not still protected?"

"Oh, you are. For now. I just don't want you leaving my forest. Not just yet."

"Why?"

"I have my reasons."

"Look, I have nothing more to do here."

"This I know."

"Then why make me stay."

"Because it is fun. I enjoy feeding off your fear, it is so blatant. For a hunter I have to say, you are a bit of a disappointment."

"What's that supposed to mean."

"Real hunters wouldn't run from a fight. They wouldn't hide from the danger."

"I am not hiding."

"No, but you were running. Now, those three you have helped me trap. They are hunters. They are stronger then you, stronger then most I have encountered. And they are far braver."

Joshua just sat there, still staring ahead of him, refusing to look at the shadow. He had been hunting for thirty year, longer then all three of the Winchesters. Before John came along he was considered one of the best, one of the authorities on demon hunting. It enraged him to sit here in his friend's car and listen to that thing beside him belittle him, speak to him as though he were nothing more then a speck of dirt.

"I needed more time with the youngest."

"What?" Joshua asked, fighting his way out of the cloud of emotions that was encasing him.

"I needed the youngest, I was about to have him but then the father came. He saved him."

"What about Dean?"

"He has already been dealt with."

"I don't want to hear this." Joshua turned angrily from the voice, staring out the driver's side window. He had known the boys for most of their lives, he had helped patch them up when they were injured and he had looked after them while John had been hunting. He had seen just how much the family cared for each other and he had seen just how much others had cared for the family. He felt dirty leading them here, giving them over to the shadows. He knew that he was sending them to their deaths, but he did not want to hear about it.

"You care about them."

"Of course. I have known those boys for years. They don't deserve this."

"Then why agree to help me."

"You know why."

"Oh yes, your fear. You sold them out for fear, another shortcoming of yours."

"Its called survival."

"Call it what you may. Be it survival, or revenge, or one of countless other terms, the emotions are always the same. Fear. Deep, unrestrained fear. You should not be too ashamed. All humans fall victim to it. There are only a select few that can truly beat it."

"Let me guess. The Winchesters."

The shadow only laughed softly, almost to itself. "You call them your friends, but yet you loath them. Why?"

"You tell me."

"Jealousy. They are everything you once pretended to be. Everything you know you will never be. And they are barely more then children. John Winchester is good, but Sam and Dean, there is a power there that I have never felt before. That is why I want them, you know. That is why they are so valuable."

"Lots of things are after them."

"This I know. But I was the first to take them. At least, I will be the first shortly."

"Then I can leave."

"You can try. But you will be walking."

"And you promise those shadows of yours wont attack."

"No. But if you are as good a hunter as you think, then you should be able to beat them and find your way out of my forest." And before Joshua could answer the shadow misted away, leaving no trace of its once overpowering presence. Joshua then sat there, gathering himself together, trying to push his fears away. Slowly he got out of the truck and made his way to the weapons locker. Taking the supplies he needed he turned and headed off down the highway, bracing himself against the shadows as they followed him into the waning darkness.

TBC..

next chapter will hopfully be up tomorrow.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Hi, back again with chapter eight. thank you again for all the reviews. i am glad you liked the chapter, i am also glad that the emotion came across right with Joshua, he really is a loathsome character. i really love writing for the bad guys, i find it so much fun. well, on with the story, let me know if you like it.

**SHADOW STALKER**

Chapter 8

Dean stumbled forward, his walking stick catching among the many rocks that littered the forest floor. He clenched his arms tightly around the stick as he swayed dangerously, willing himself not to fall. "Damn it." He breathed harshly as he regained his balance. He could feel the sweat pouring down his face as he walked, his strength dying away with each step he took. His lips were chapped and his throat was on fire, he could barely remember the last time he had something to drink. "Coffee for nine hours, then before that beer. There had to be water in there somewhere." He spoke to himself, finding the sound comforting in the oppressive silence, no longer caring how sane he looked.

He stood there for a few more minutes panting, his tall body leaning almost entirely on the stick still clutched tightly in his arms. "I just have to rest. Just for a few minutes." He swayed dangerously again, trying to decide some safe way to the ground. "Maybe I'll rest later." He decided, finding no easy way to lower himself.

He had made amazing progress for the condition he was in, or at least he thought so. Dean had managed to walk about a mile and a half diagonally up the side of the hill, coming to a stop about two hundred and fifty meters higher then where he had started. However, the ground beneath his tired feet was starting to get much steeper, and his exhausted body could not handle much more.

His lean frame had become wracked with tremors shortly after he had started his fight against the mountain, and the shaking had only grown in intensity the longer he tried to climb. His hands were shaking so badly that it had become nearly impossible for him to hold onto his walking stick. So instead of stopping he had wrapped his forearms around the stick, leaning his entire body against it. And he had continued on like that for quite some time. But now things were become exceedingly difficult as he stumbled more the stepped his way along.

Taking a few deep, ragged breaths he prepared himself again for movement. He lifted up with his arms and pulled the stick from where it had become wedged. He then swung his body around, nearly falling over before the makeshift cane had again hit the ground. "Ten points. Crowd goes wild. Hhhhaaaa." Dean joked quietly to himself, mimicking the sound of a cheering crowd. He then gave the ground beneath him a smug grin, looked up at the ever nearing road above and once again began his slow progress to safety.

He had made it about another one hundred meters, the ever increasing darkness masking the dangers the were all around him. He was unable to see more then a few feet ahead of him, and therefor could not see where the mountain may lead. He stumbled forward again as the rocks began to slide out from under his feet, the loose ground wet from the recent summer rains. In his mind he could here fast running water, but, even in the daylight he was unable to find it._ 'Just my mind playing tricks on me.'_ He thought as he walked. He was so thirty that he wouldn't have been surprised if his mind invented a cozy looking bar right in front of him. Hot barmaid and all. "That would be nice." He grinned as he picked his way along the mountain. "I'm gonna call her Tina." He continued to smile as he imagined what types of beers and whiskeys the place would have. And what he and 'Tina' would be doing after hours.

It was helping him keep his mind off the ever increasing pain of his body, as well as the deep chill that was coming with the growing night. "Tina would be warm." He grinned to himself as he shivered, pulling his jacket a little closer. He walked on like that for a while, and before he knew it, there were thirty two taps, and two walls worth of very high end liquor. He had even gone so far as to pick out matching barstools and booths as well as some top of the line pool tables to go into the corner nook.

"Nook? Damn it brain, stop listening to Sammy. Damn boy's gonna have me picking out china before this year is over." He then switched tactics and instead of letting his mind decorate the bar, he decided to let it decorate 'Tina'. And he was once again lost in his fantasies.

His mind was suddenly ripped away from his sultry barmaid when he felt the ground beneath him begin to give way. He swung his body around frantically, trying to find some way to keep from sliding back down the hill. He pushed his walking stick firmly into the ground in front of him, hoping to brace himself as the area around him began to slide away. But, to his horror, the stick sank far into the ground, only succeeding in pushing more earth away in front of him. Dean barely had time to brace himself as he felt his body pitch forward over the stick. His back struck the ground hard, and he let out a piercing scream as his broken knee connected harshly with the rocks below him. He tumbled down about fifty meters before coming to a rest in the soft grass, thankful to be laying on his left side.

"God damn it." He moaned as he pressed his face into the dirt, angered at the tears of pain he could not stop. He moaned again and coughed fiercely into the dirt, finally loosing control of his strong body. He was shaking so much he felt like he would pull a muscle, and his teeth were chattering loud enough to be hear up on the road. But there was nothing he could do about it. His body had finally given up to the exhaustion, his mind dulled by hunger and thirst. He curled up on his side, trying hard not to move his injured leg, pulling his jacket tighter. '_It's so cold.' _He thought as he continued to cough into the grass beneath him.

He struggled to stay awake, but he was slowly loosing the battle shortly after his second fall. His mind fighting against the blissful unconsciousness as he felt the pain around him fade away. He spared one last glance at the forest and gasped as his eyes began to focus. There, kneeling next to his shaking form was a man, his cold gray eyes boring into Dean's soul. '_There's something wrong with him.'_ His mind questioned weakly as he stared at the figure. He was a shadow, a mirage. He wasn't real.

"What do you want?"

"I want you, Dean."

"Why?"

"Because, you are worth a lot to me."

"What?"

"You are valuable. As is your brother. Demons, witches, spirits. They will all pay a great price to have you. To hunt you."

"Money?"

"Oh no, my boy." The shadow answered, running its icy hand over Dean's forehead brushing his hair back. It was a gesture of affection, but coming from something so vial, it seemed obscene. "Not money, souls. They are what I crave, they are my power."

"What are you?"

"I am the shadow cast by humanity. I am the footprint of all that life is and was. Every emotion that has been felt, every lie told, every heart broken. That is what I am."

"Then why are you roaming a forest. Shouldn't you be in a place a little more.. Upscale." Dean chided, wanting nothing more then to anger the shadow, because at that moment it was all he could do.

"I wont be here much longer."

"Moving up."

"You might say that."

"You know, you should stop throwing me down the cliff. I'm sure I am more valuable in one piece."

"No, not necessarily."

Dean froze and stared at the shadow before him. That was not the answer he had wanted to here. His life was his one bargaining chip, the one thing he could hold over this monstrosity, and now he was told it didn't matter. In that moment Dean was truly afraid. What if no one found him, what would happen to Sammy without him.

"Where is my brother. What have you done to him."

"He is on the road above you. He is fairing better then you, if that is what you ask."

"If my life doesn't matter then why not kill me now."

"I didn't say it didn't matter, quite the opposite. Your life is what matters most to me. I would prefer to keep you breathing as long as possible. But it is not a necessity, your soul lives on with or without a body."

"So you want to trade me."

"That was the original plan."

"I take it there's a new one."

"Perhaps."

"So, what does one get for a black market Dean."

The shadow then smiled, an act that stole Dean's breath away. Its mouth was hollow, as though he were looking into a black hole. He could feel the grotesque joy dripping from the man, all of its desire aimed at him, encircling him, as it smiled down at his broken body. "Not nearly enough. You have no idea of your worth, do you child."

"I'm not a child."

"Oh, but you are to me. You know, I would want nothing more then to have your soul. You could be mine, forever."

"Get the hell away from me." Dean wheezed out defiantly trying to slide himself away, knowing that there was no way he could fight the shadow.

It then laughed softly. "Oh yes, what a soul. Yours alone could keep me going for so long. Maybe I will keep you. After all, I can always trade away the younger."

"Don't you dare touch him."

"But if I trade you, then I would have to keep him. Would you prefer that."

"Screw you." Dean whispered, loosing his fight with oblivion.

"Oh now, that is what I want." The shadow leaned in closer, its eyes mere inches from Dean's. "Your defiance, your bravery. It feeds me more then any other emotion." It then laid its entire hand across Dean's face. "I can feel you, you know. Always, not just when you are here. I felt you in Nebraska, when the faith healer touched you, I felt your fear then. I felt your anger when you killed Meg, helped rip the soul from her body. I felt your loss when your brother told you he would leave again in Chicago. And I felt your anguish as your house burned all those years ago. You see, Dean, you and your brother, I have been waiting for you for twenty three years."

"Well, here we are."

The shadow then breathed in deeply, the winds around it growing as the shadows flickered once more through the forest. It was feeding off of Dean, draining him of his strength as it ate away at his emotions. "Yes, you are here. And this is where you will stay, forever." The shadow caressed his face once more then misted away into the night, leaving a cold wind in its place.

Dean then lost his battle with wakefulness as he shivered uncontrollably on the cold forest floor. The shadows blocking out all light and sound, keeping Dean vailed with their presence. He barely registered the voices echoing down from over head, his mind unsure if they were real or imagined.

"_You found the impala."_

_"I didn't know it was missing."_

_"When Dean didn't come back..."_

_"Well its up here on the shoulder, about two miles."_

The rest of the conversation was lost in the darkness, the completeness of the night swallowing all life around it. The shadow stood there over his prey, looking down at the man, no the child, curled into a ball at his feet. He did not want John Winchester there, and his presence had changed all his plans. He was running out of time, he needed strength. He couldn't wait for the payments the boys would bring, he needed to save one of them for himself, trade the other. He looked once more at the boy at his feet, his mind deciding which to chose. A sour smirk then crossed its face as a sickening laugh filled the nigh. It would make them chose for him.

TBC..


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: is there a reality show called "when chapters attack"? because that is just what happened to me. this one really got away from me, so it is pretty long. sorry i couldnt post it sooner, i have been really busy at work. i want to thank everyone again for all the great reviews, i am glad you all like it. i hope this chapter lives up the the hype. i am sorry again for all the typos of the earlier chapters, i am a bit dyslexic and proof-reading has never been my strong suit. i will try to do better. this chapter is not going to be betaed, but i think i may have found some one to do the rest. i swear i read each chapter at least three times. i guess there is just always going to be something i miss. well, on with the show.

also, i know nothing of the second season, my ideas about the aftermath of the car accident are just that, ideas. i am trying to stay as close to the supernatural universe as i can.

D: i forgot this on the last few chapters. alas, i still own nothing. except for shadow pine highway, but then, who in their right mind would really want that. :)

**SHADOW STALKER**

Chapter 9

Sam and John continued to pick their way down the side of the mountain, the weak daylight doing little to help their search. The entire forest seemed to be shrouded in an unnatural fog, so dense that it blocked out most of the light. The air was heavy with an all encompassing silence and Sam couldn't help the periodic shivers that had taken over his body. It was almost as though he could feel the fog, sense it inside his mind and his body. It was speaking to him, whispering to him, the words only coming into his mind as an unintelligible haze. And with that haze he could feel the weak sensation of emotions, like a muted version of what had attacked him earlier. He shook his head, his moppy brown hair falling over into his eyes, dampened by the dense air around him.

"Are you ok?" John asked, turning when he noticed his son had fallen behind. He looked back at Sam, concern evident in his eyes. He had still not fully come to terms with the powers his youngest son possessed. The visions and telekinesis were too much for him to take in. He understood both phenomena all to well, and normally they wouldn't have fazed him. But this was his son, his flesh and blood, it wasn't supposed to happen to him. The supernatural was something John had trained himself to fight, to defeat. How could he fight his own son. "Is it a vision?"

"No, nothing like that. It's almost like what attacked me earlier, but weaker. Like I can sense it off in the woods."

"Is it coming for you again?"

"No, I don't think so. Not right now anyway. I can just feel it."

"What do you mean, you can just 'feel' it?"

"Well, I get weird vibes sometimes, like when something supernatural is around I get a weird feeling. Dean told me I was a walking EMF meter."

"Yeah well, your brother should learn to take things more seriously. Especially when it pertains to you."

"Come on, Dad, don't start that up. You have to stop blaming him for things, it's killing him."

"Sam, you are his responsibility, he has to realize that. He has been skirting his duties lately, getting lazy, and it has to stop."

"Well do me a favor and just back off . You're turning him into a soulless drone, and he deserves more then that. He does the best he can."

"That's not always good enough."

"No, Dad. It's more then good enough, you have to open your eyes, before it's too late."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ever since the Demon, I don't know, he's been more self destructive in a lot of ways. I mean, there's guns blazing and then there's moronic risk. And he's somewhere right in-between the two."

"He'll be fine."

"Yeah, whatever." Sam grumbled as he moved past his father, his long strides taking him down the mountain at a faster pace. He knew he needed to get through to his father but John was even better at averting a conversation then Dean. He just hoped that it wouldn't take either his or his brother's death to make their father see the light.

John watched his youngest son storm past him down the hill and let out small sigh. He wished he could let Sam know just how much he cared about both him and his brother, but he could never find the right words. Plus, showing that kind of affection was dangerous in their field. Meg had taken them in Chicago as bait because of those emotions. He felt like someone had pulled the rug out from under him that night. The Demon knew them, more then they had even known themselves. It knew their weaknesses and it knew how to exploit them. And it had almost killed them all.

He knew now more then ever that he couldn't let them know how he felt, he couldn't let that kind of emotion slip. It would be used. Used to hurt him, used to destroy his sons, and he was not about to let that happen. He had seen the terror in Dean's eyes the night he was possessed and he had heard the pleading in Sam's voice as he watched his brother die in front of him. No, his boys were already too close, too emotional when it came to each other, he could not let that be the same with him. He had to protect them, had to keep them safe. And if that meant that he had to hide his feelings then so be it.

He knew, without a doubt, that he wouldn't be able to go on if he lost one of his boys. Losing Mary had left him with a pain, an emptiness he thought nothing could match, until the car accident. When he saw his oldest son on life support, when he heard the doctor say he may never wake again, when he saw Sam crumble in tears at his brother's side; that was the worst pain he had ever felt. That one moment of his life was like a stake through the heart. He could feel his soul draining away as he looked over his two lost boys. And he knew then, that losing them would destroy him completely. So he pulled away, and drowned himself in the hunt, never realizing that he was still losing his sons.

They had finally reached the bottom of the escarpment about an hour later, the hike had been hard, but thankfully not impossible. Scanning the flat forest around them John noticed that there were a number of places they would be able to set up camp in if the need arose. He could also hear running water off in the distance, and by the sound of it there was a pretty substantial amount.

"Sammy, do you have any maps with you?"

"Yeah, I got one of the state, and then some close ups of the national forests."

"Do you have one for Wenatchee National Forest?"

"Yeah, I think so. Is that where we are?"

"Yeah, on a road called Shadow Pine Highway."

"Wait, this is Shadow Pine Highway?"

"Yeah, why you've heard of it before?" John asked, nearly beside himself. '_There is no such thing as a coincidence.'_

"Yeah, Dean mentioned it. He said someone told him it was an easy shortcut. I just figured he took another road."

"Sam, this is no shortcut, its an old logging road, it dead ends up near Richmond Highlands. It's said to be cursed."

"Cursed how?"

"I'm not sure, but very few have ever made it back alive, and the ones that did came out different. They were either crazy, suicidal, or homicidal. Did he mention who had told him about it?"

"No, he just mumbled the name of the road when we were at the diner in Boulder. Dad, we were lured here, all of us."

"Not all of us, just you and Dean. I guessed this road on my own. Joshua even tried to talk me out of it."

"Why would he do that?"

"He was worried about its history."

"And you bought that? No offense Dad, but he's been hunting longer then you."

"Yeah, but I know him son, and I have for most of your life, he wouldn't sell you out."

"I know, I'm thinking maybe someone used him, he probably didn't know anything about the area until he came up here with you."

"Well, lets just hope he's in better shape then we are."

John took a deep breath as Sam fished out the maps from his back pack. _'Not Joshua, there was no way._' He used to leave the boys with him when they were younger, and that was not a responsibility imposed on just anyone. The people John let the boys have contact with had to earn his trust at every level. There was no way he could be involved, he just wouldn't let his mind except that.

Sam pulled the maps from the side pocket of his back pack and unfolded them on the forest floor. He and his father then leaned over them, both searching for the elusive Shadow Pine Highway.

"There." John pointed to the barely visible line that was the highway a few minutes later. At first glance it did look like it would be a good shortcut, and it was obvious to Sam why his brother had chosen it. Had the road been completely passable it would have cut their trip down considerably.

"Do you know how far down it we are?"

"I drove for about three hours before I found the impala. So I would guess we are about here." John pointed to an area of the road.

"What are you looking for?"

"That." He pointed down below the outline of the road, to a series of blue lines that snaked around the forest. There were a number of rivers throughout that area, and a few of them were close by their current position. "We just need to find some way to boil it and then we will have drinking water."

"No need, I think there are water purification tablets in the first aid kit. We can use them."

"Good thinking. We can worry about food later, water was my main concern."

"Really, because the sadistic shadows that are trying to kill us were mine."

"You know, you really have been spending too much time with you brother."

"Your telling me."

"I think if we head dew east we should come across one of the larger streams."

"All right." Sam said as he scooped up the maps, packing them away as he followed his father deeper into the forest.

It took them about twenty minutes to reach the stream, which was more like a small river. It was about thirty feet across, and though not too deep, it was still running fast, swollen by the late summer rains. The water itself was murky brown, and frothy. It was fitting, Sam thought. This entire forest seemed to be half inside of shadows and half out, the sunshine merely a lesser cousin to the darkness. '_Why would the water be clear. It would seem unnatural compared to everything else.'_ Sam continued to look down in disgust at the water flowing before him while John began to fill some of the empty water bottles.

"I don't know if the purification tables can handle that."

"As long as the bacteria's gone it will be fine. What, you excepted desani or something?" John laughed as he looked up at his son. It was a simple fact that he enjoyed hiking and the outdoors much more then either of his boys.

"No. Maybe. I guess I was just hoping."

"As long as it's wet, Sammy, that's all I care about." He continued to smile as he dropped one of the tablets into each of the bottles he had filled. They now had a total of three full water bottles. He had decided to keep the two filled with river water for drinking while the third, filled with filtered water, would be used for first aid purposes. He still had no idea how injured Dean would be when they found him and he knew that the tablets would not make the water clean enough to pour into open wounds.

"So, Dad." Sam began, still looking over the water his father had given him. "What's your plan?"

"I think we should head back up the hill a bit. Even if he did fall, I don't think he would have made it all the way down."

"All right. We should head back in the direction of the car, I don't think he would have gone too far from it."

"Yeah, maybe the area behind it too, if he was looking for something you threw."

John was merely stating the facts, but his statement still hit Sam hard. This was his fault. It was because of him that his brother had gotten out of the car that night, it was his arrogance that had separated them. He wished with all that was in him that he had not thrown the tape from the window, but his mind would not let him stop reliving the last moments he had spent with Dean. '_If only I had given him a light. If only I had gone with him. He'd be here now.'_

"Sammy."

"Huh, what?" Sam pulled himself from his silent torment and looked over to his father.

"I asked you what your brother was wearing."

"Oh, jeans and a tee shirt with a red flannel over it and his leather coat. And boots, he had his boots on."

"Ok. You know, Sammy, I'm gonna need you sharp here, you can't be drifting off on me."

"I'm fine, I'm sorry."

"We'll find him, Sam."

"Yeah." Sam answered weakly as he followed after his father, both men making their way slowly back up the mountain, keeping their eyes trained for some sign of Dean. They were both meticulous and silent as the searched every inch of the escarpment. Flattened grass, broken branches, displaced rocks; anything could hold the key to finding the lost piece of their family.

The search had been taking quite a bit more time then either of them had hoped, both knowing that finding Dean fast was their ultimate goal. Finally Sam couldn't take the silence any longer.

"Hey," he began not looking over at his father. "How bad do you think Dean is? I mean, you think he's ok, right?"

"I don't know, Sammy." John answered evenly.

Sam only nodded and look down at his hands, fidgeting with the cap of the water bottle he was still holding. Ever since he had found his dad Sam kept telling himself that they would all be fine, that his brother would be fine. But there was a deep unease growing inside of him. Something was nagging at him, telling him his brother was badly injured, maybe too injured. And that was not an outcome he could except.

"We'll find him though, right?"

"Of course." John answered strongly, finally looking over to his youngest. Sam was staring down at the ground, his eyes lost behind his damp hair. "Sam," John said again, forcing strength behind his words, needing to convey his determination to his son, "we'll find him. I promise."

"This is my fault, Dad. I'm sorry."

"Son, you couldn't have known."

"Yeah well, you were right, I should have been more cautious."

"Hindsight is always twenty/ twenty, Sammy. Now I need you to focus, maybe you can use that EMF thing of yours to find your brother."

Sam then smiled up at his father. He needed his dad to understand, to accept what was happening to him. Dean had done so with such grace, such understanding that it had made everything seem a little more normal. His father, however, seemed to recoil, shrink away from his long estranged son. Sam then tried to hide his abilities, to downplay them, give his father a son he would want. The fact that John had begun to come around was a blessing to Sam.

The abilities were a part of who he was, something that he had been born with. For so long he had tried to be someone else; someone he knew, deep down, he never would be. But ever since he had told Dean, something had been lifted from his burdened soul, and for the first time in his life he felt free. If John could accept him as Dean had, then maybe everything would be ok, maybe he could be normal.

They walked on for another half hour, still finding no trace of Dean, their unease growing with every step. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Sam stumbled upon his goal. There beneath his feet was a large patch of flattened grass and broken branches. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the tattered remains of his brother's red flannel shirt.

"Dad, I got something." He yelled to his father, who had been searching the hill about twenty meters to his left. John then ran over, his heart pounding, thankful for even the smallest of signs. Dean had been missing for thirty eight hours, and to John, even an eyelash would have been something.

"It looks like he tore it up." John stated taking the shirt from Sam's hand.

"Yeah, for bandages probably. The trail leads that way. It looks like he's hurt his right leg though, there are drag marks next to his footprint."

"At least he's walking, Sammy." John smiled. He had expected to find his son laying in a heap somewhere along the mountain. The fact that he had been able to pull himself to his feet was like a breath of fresh air against the hunter's face.

"Hey, Dad?" Sam began, both men walking purposefully along the trail left by the missing hunter. "How are you planning on getting us back out of here, after we get Dean?"

"I'm still working on that."

"What do you think the shadows are?"

"Truthfully, I don't know, I've never come across anything like them."

"I was thinking, if you found the car where Dean and I left it, then maybe the shadows didn't take it after all, maybe they just cloaked it or something."

"I was thinking that. They must have some way of messing with our senses then too. If not, one of us would have walked right into the car."

"Yeah."

"I don't know if this is a curse son, I think we may be dealing with a demon here."

"What makes you say that."

"Curses don't manifest physically, and they don't steal cars. This thing, whatever it is, it can think, plan."

"I haven't seen any sulfur signatures though."

"I know, that's what has me confused. Unless it is just powerful enough to cover them up."

"So, how do we stop it then?"

"Exorcise it."

"Yeah, but it isn't in a corporal being, it's in the shadows, in the whole forest."

"Then we exorcise the entire area."

"You can do that?"

"I can sure as hell try."

Suddenly, without warning the winds picked up at a harrowing pace, blowing at the men from all sides, forcing them to the ground. All sound was drowned out by the roar of the winds around them, the fog misting into gray shadows, reaching at them from all sides. There was an anger on the wind, a hatred so deep Sam thought it would rip him in two. He looked up as the dim light began to fade further into the fog.

Sam could hear it, feel it; sense the anger and fear. The winds were screaming, loud and shrill, the sound mixing with a deafening roar. It was as though the entire forest had begun to attack them, lash out at them in a blind, empowered rage. The air dripped with the venom of the shadows, their voices screeching against his eardrums, entrapping his senses. But instead of giving into the pain as he had done before Sam pushed against it. He leaned into the wind and shouted above it.

"You can't have him. I won't let you."

"_He is already mine. You lost him.' _

"NO!" Sam screamed holding his hands over his ears. He felt the winds around him shift, and lessen, swirling away from the power before them. That's when he saw it. No more then a hundred meters away the faint outline of a body was visible in the grass, its back to Sam.

"DEAN!" Sam yelled into the fog, pushing himself to his feet with all the strength he could find. He shielded his eyes against the assaulting winds as he ran towards his fallen brother, all movement around him forgotten, the once deafening voices all but whispers.

"SAMMY!" John pushed himself up and followed after he son, failing to match the young man's speed. "SAM, SLOW DOWN!" He yelled again after the retreating figure, the fog rolling in between the two like a great brick wall. John could feel himself slowing as he pushed against the heavy air, his mind blurred by the mist around him. "SAMMY!" '_Not both, you cannot have them both. I will not allow it.'_ "SAMMY!" John screamed again, but his son was nowhere to be seen, his tall silhouette lost in the fog.

Sam didn't hear his father, he couldn't. His mind was focused on just one thing, '_Get to Dean.'_ He dodged around the swirls of fog as he drew ever nearer to the still form of his brother. His heart racing, mind spinning with what he would find a few meters away.

"Dean?" Sam landed on his knees at his brother's back, grasping at his shoulders and lifting Dean's bruised body into his arms.

Sam let a small sob escape his lips when he finally looked down at the man in his lap. Dean's skin was pale gray and cool to the touch, a thin layer of moister resting on his still body. His lips were a light shade of blue and his hair was matted to his forehead. Across the side of his face and over his forehead was a strange frostbite, almost like a hand of ice had caressed him, freezing the skin with its touch. He held his breath and pushed his fingers into Dean's neck, fearing the worst. The faint beating they found was like a breath of fresh air to Sam as he let out a long, shaky sigh.

"Dean, can you hear me?" Sam asked quietly as he scooped his brother's limp form further up into his arms, resting his head against his chest. He could feel the coldness of his brother's body seeping through his shirt, chilling him as he sat. "Come on, Dean. I need you to wake up." Sam pleaded, his eyes shining with unshed tears. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Please just open your eyes. Please."

"I told you, he's already mine."

Sam's head shot up and he froze, there before him, misting out of the surrounding fog was a man made entirely of shadows.

"I will not lose him."

"But, my boy, you already have."

"No I haven't, not yet."

The thing before him only laughed, sending Sam into a defiant anger.

"Oh child, you lost him long ago."

"I won't let you fill my head with lies." Sam declared, pulling his brother closer, shielding him from the gray shadows around them. They seemed to be closing in on all sides, blocking them into that small area of space, the dark figure before him standing out against the dense fog.

"What lies? You know the truth. You've known it for over a year now. You have run from it, and denied it, but that doesn't change the fact that you know it."

"What truth is that?"

"The truth, is that you gave him up, willingly, a long time ago. I remember that night, you know, the one when you left. I felt his pain, his all encompassing despair." He motioned to Dean, his voice still laced with an unmistakable envy, an urgent need. "And you, I felt your joy, your freedom at being ride of him."

"That's a lie, if I could have I would have taken him."

"There is always more then one choice, Sammy." The shadow spoke his name with such vial hatred that it made Sam shiver. "Deep down, you didn't want him with you. You were afraid. Afraid he would drag you down."

"Shut up."

"You know I am right. That boy, a part of him died that day. Oh, the grief, the loss. It was so strong, so overwhelming. I had felt his emotions before, but that night, that is when I knew I must have him. And you."

"And me what?"

"In Nebraska, when you were told he was dying. The guilt, the self loathing, the pain. You are just as much a prize as your brother."

"What guilt?"

"He was there for you, always, even after you had given him up. You know, deep down, that you will lose him one day. You're guilty because you have made him an afterthought, a weak memory. He has such a powerful soul, it's a shame it will be forgotten."

"I will not forget him, and I will not lose him. I may have made mistakes, but I assure you, I will never make them again."

"You really believe that, don't you? You think, that if offered a normal life, you wouldn't just pass him off again?"

"Never. This is my life. He's my life."

"He's dying."

"I've stopped it before, I can stop it again."

"Really."

"I will not lose my brother to a bastard like you."

"Are you sure."

"Beyond a doubt."

"Would you take his place? Would you die for that boy in your arms?"

"Yes!"

The shadow then smiles its hollow smile, the air rushing towards it. Sam could feel the wind wrap around his body, feel the warmth seeping out of his veins. The world around him was slowly fading, the edges of his vision turning black. He could feel himself slipping away, could feel his mind calling in the deep shadows. In his arms he felt his brother begin to tremble, his body fighting to join the waking world.

And in that instant Sam knew. He owed this to his brother, to the man in his arms. It was his punishment for betraying him, for casting him off on his search for normal, never fully understanding what he had given away. Dean deserved more, needed more then Sam thought he could ever give. His brother was a hero, to more then just him, and the world needed him. Dean had the ability to do so much good, and Sam would be damned if he would take that away from him too.

Suddenly, out of the darkness that had invaded his mind Sam heard and earsplitting shriek, and without warning his mind was thrust back into the light of the day. His body was cold and trembling, but he was still breathing, his heart still beating. He looked around, the fog had moved off, pulling away from the brothers, leaving a dazzling light in its wake.

But there before him, the shadow still stood. It was hazier and less defined, but it was still there, its cold gray eyes staring down at the boys.

"You are still mine."

It then misted away, falling back with the fog. And out of the chaos Sam could hear a voice, his father's voice, chanting a banishing spell in a long dead language. It wouldn't last for long, that he knew, but it was enough for the moment. He looked down once more at his still cold and unconscious brother, knowing that the shadow would be back again, and next time he would be ready.

TBC

the next chapter will hopefully be up in the next few days, i am shooting for friday, but it may be saturday.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: here i am again. thank you all for your great reviews, i am glad you are enjoying this. i think this chapter is a little lighter then the rest. hope it makes you all laugh a little, i know i was cracking myself up at points. :) enjoy.

D: supernatural is in no way mine.

**SHADOW STALKER**

Chapter 10

"Dean? Hey, Dean. Come on, open your eyes." Sam whispered as he leaned over his brother's trembling form. He had wrapped his own jacket around him, holding him ever closer, willing his own strength into the older man's failing body. His brother's skin was still far too cold, and though he had begun moving again, it was clear that he was still lost in a deep haze. Sam pulled him up, resting Dean's head against his shoulder. He needed to feel him, needed the contact, needed to hold his body while there was still life in it.

Sam fought back tears, the moister of his eyes blurring his vision. He had to be strong, he had to be there for his brother. All his life Dean had protected him, sacrificed everything for him, and prevailed. Now it was Sam's turn, and he would not fail, he would not let his brother be lost, taken into the darkness by shadows.

"Sammy." John spoke softly at his son's side, making Sam jump, he finally looked away from his brother and into his father's eyes. "How is he?" John asked, his voice shaky but still commanding. He was kneeling in front of his sons, removing his own jacket to cover Dean's half frozen body. Dean looked like he had been through hell and back. His skin was deathly cold, and so off color that it made John cringe. He looked dead, his lips still blue, and large black bag were visible under both his eyes. John knew that he needed a hospital immediately, but the chances of them getting to one anytime soon were slim.

He ran his hand over Dean's face, his soft touch seemed almost alien for such a closed off man. He traced the outline left by the shadow, the skin beneath his fingers was frostbitten and scarred. In that moment John felt an intense rage build inside of him. He knew the scars were permanent, leaving a sickening reminders of where that thing had touched his boy, what it had done to him. His perfect soldier looked like nothing more then a broken child cradled in his brother's arms. The feel of his cold skin brought out a renewed anger in the elder Winchester, and his fierce sense of revenge boiled to the surface. '_How dare that monstrosity destroy my son. How dare it touch my family.' _

"We don't have much time, we need to move him somewhere safer." John began, quickly checking to see if all of Dean's makeshift bandages were still in place. He knew the wounds needed to be addressed, but now was not the time. They were still out in the open and he knew that while his quick thinking had bought them some time, it still wasn't much. They needed a base, a place to hide out until they could formulate a more complete plan. "Keep him warm."

"Yes, sir." Sam answered, pulling his brother closer, repositioning the jackets and rubbing his arms. "Come on, Dean. Stay with me."

John reached around Sam, searching the pockets of the back pack he still wore, looking for the maps. He pulled them out a few minutes later and began to pour over them, searching for a near by shelter. "Here." John said, pointing to an area of the map. Sam looked over his brothers head to see what his father was referring to.

"What is it?"

"There's a ridge along one of the river, it looks like there may be some caves there."

"How far?"

"About two miles."

"Dad, we can't move Dean that far."

"We can't leave him here either. I don't have time to argue with you, Sam."

"We need to at least check him over first. We could hurt him worse."

"Sam, we don't have that kind of time. That spell isn't going to hold that thing back for very long."

"Yeah, I get that. I'm just saying we should take a minute."

"We don't have a minute. Now, help me get your brother up. That's an order."

"Fine."

Sam shifted Dean slightly in his arms, as his father knelt in front of him, taking some of his brother's weight. Dean moaned softly and shifted a bit, his body trying to fight against the arms around him.

"Get a way from me." He whispered, his words slurred together, almost dying on his lips. "Let me go." He struggled weakly, trying to push Sam and his father away.

"Dean, it's me, it's Sam."

"Get the hell away from me."

"Dean, son, wake up." And as though the sound of John's commanding voice had thrown a switch, Dean's body suddenly stiffened, his eyes slowly opening to mere slits.

"Sammy?"

"Hey, I'm right here." Sam answered softly, looking into his brother's eyes.

"What took you so long?" Dean asked, his quiet voice cracking weakly. It wasn't meant to be an accusation, but the hurt in his voice was all too apparent. And that broke through the thin walls Sam had been hiding behind the entire time. Dean's voice was so weak, so unfamiliar from the one Sam was used to hearing and that crushed what little resolve he had been holding onto.

"Oh god, Dean, I am so sorry. I started looking as soon as I could."

"It's not your brother's fault, Dean. The shadow kept him away."

"Are you hurt? What did it do to you?" Dean asked weakly, trying to examine his brother.

"Nothing. I'm fine."

"Dean, what do you remember?" John cut in, still pulling his oldest son into his arms, motioning for Sam to help. They had to move, now.

"I was looking for my tape, then the wind pushed me over the edge."

"Were you knocked out?"

"Yeah, it was daylight when I woke up."

"All right. When we are safe I'm going to need to check you over."

"Ok." Dean answered groggily, his body slowing losing out to sleep once more.

"No, Dean. You need to stay awake. Your brother and I, we need to move you."

"Ok."

"Ok, Dean, I am going to pull you to your feet, all right?"

"Ok. Wait, wait, wait." Dean began weakly but it was too late, his brother and father had already pulled him up to stand. The moment his right leg hit the ground he screamed out in agony, falling limply into his brother's arms.

"Oh, god." He moaned, barely more then a whispers, as he leaned forward. Sam knew what was coming and he quickly turned his brother and lowered him to the ground, just as a bout of pain induced vomiting took over his shaking body.

"I'm sorry." Dean coughed as he leaned his tired body against his brother's chest, his still pale face shining with sweat, pain evident in his eyes.

"It's all right, Dean." John answered as he began to survey his son's knee, alarmed that it had caused him so much pain. He gently prodded around the knee, pushing here and there.

Dean suddenly screamed out again, as his father pressed down around his knee cap. "Stop, please." He whispered, his voice shaky and exhausted. "It's broken."

"I think it's shattered, Dean. You walked all this way on it?"

"Yeah, I had a crutch. But I hit it again when I fell the second time, so who knows." His voice trailed away as he found himself losing his battle with consciousness.

"Fell again? Dean, from where?"

"Up there." Dean pointed lazily, John's vision falling on an area of loose dirt about fifty meters up the mountain.

"Did you hit anything else, Dean?" John asked still looking up the mountain. "Dean?" He turned and looked down at his son, Dean once again lost in unconsciousness. "Damn it. Come on, Sammy, we got a move." John checked the splint once more and then hoisted his son up into a fireman's carry, careful not to hurt his knee. The Winchester men then began their trek though the forest, unaware of the gray eyes watching their every step.

666666666666666666666666666666

The shadow made its way through the forest, leaving the Winchesters to their plans, cursing John for stealing back the boys. He could have had them both, he was so close. He knew how to play them, how to make them weak, how to tear at their emotions. He knew how much they cared for one another, and he knew that the youngest would give up life itself for his brother, and he had. But then the father came, chanting that stupid spell, throwing his powers away from the boys.

It wouldn't last for long though, soon he would have his prize, he would have the brothers. He needed them desperately. His strength was failing, dying away. The world had long ago given itself up to its emotions. People hated openly, stole blindly, killed recklessly. The power that he once fed upon was fading away, lost amongst the open violence and fear. He needed feelings to fester, grow stronger with time. He needed to rid humanity of its emotions, to take and hid all that fear and hate, keep it for himself, for his own strength.

He needed to free himself from that god forsaken forest, and those boys were his tickets. Their strength would become his strength, his power. And then, finally he would be able to walk free among the world, instead of imprisoned in a forgotten forest. He wanted the Winchester boys and he would have them. Father or not, nothing would stand in the way of his needs, of his desires. Sam and Dean would be his, or no one's.

The shadow slowly came across its prey, its humble form visible to the creature from miles away, its deceit calling to the shadow like fresh blood. "I see you are still here."

"What!" Joshua turned quickly, lifting a shotgun to the shadow before him. He was disheveled and bruised, his face lined with fear. The shadow smiled, he had told the others not to kill the man, but had by no means told them to leave him alone. "What do you want?"

"I came by to chat."

"Like hell you did."

"True."

"Why don't you just leave me the hell alone."

"And why would I do that? It is not my fault you are here."

"I tried to keep him away, he wouldn't listen. You don't know how he can be."

"Oh, but I do. I would have had them, you know. I almost had them, until he stepped in."

"I told you, do what you want with the boys, but don't tell me about it."

"It is funny, really, that you still think you have a conscience. Still think there is something redeeming in your actions."

"I did what I did to survive."

"That I know, but it still doesn't change the fact that you sent those boys here to die."

"I didn't know that."

"Don't be stupid. You knew they would not survive the trip. Yet still you called them, still you told them, still you excepted their gratitude."

"Shut the hell up."

"John Winchester is ruining all of my plans. His presence here is your fault."

"And what do you want me to do about it?"

"I want you to take care of him."

"I can't kill him."

"Then lead him away, take the boys from him. Without his presence I will have the opportunity to take them."

"How am I supposed to do that."

"You will think of a way, or else you will never leave this forest."

"We had a deal."

"Don't threaten me, I could destroy you with a simple breath. Didn't your mother ever tell you not to make deals with demons."

"Fine, but when you have the boys, you sure as hell better let me out of here."

"Of course."

"And keep John away from me."

"Once I have his boys that will not be a problem." And with that the shadow misted away, leaving Joshua alone once again in the dark forest. He took a deep steadying breath and then began his long hike back to the cars. He was afraid. Afraid of the shadow, but also afraid of John. If he found out, if he ever knew what he had done to his sons, there would be no place on earth he could hide. John would find him, hunt him like an animal, and then John would kill him, take him apart bit by bit.

66666666666666666666666666666

John barely stumbled as he carried his oldest son, his mind completely focused on the task at hand. '_I have to find the ridge, I have to keep them safe.'_ He could deal with the shadow later, right now his first priority was Dean. He was hurt badly, that John knew for sure. He also knew that his sons' limited first aid supplies would do little in the way of helping him. But it was something, and like the spell it would buy them time.

Finally they came upon the ridge, Sam following close by his father's side, keeping an eye on Dean. His brothers had moaned and grumbled slightly, but had thankfully remain unconscious for the entire trip. He knew that the way his father was carrying him had to be painful, but there was no other way. He was just glad Dean seemed to be oblivious to his ailing body.

"Over here, I think this is as good a place as any." Sam called to his father after they had spilt up to cover more ground. John walked slowly over to where his youngest son stood, Dean still draped over his shoulder. Sam was standing at the entrance to a small cave, no more the twelve feet deep, and about ten feet across. It wasn't much, but it was right next to the river and easily defensible. It would have to do.

"It's good, Sam. Here, help me lay your brother down." John said, lowering Dean's feet to the ground. His son moaned in protest as his right foot hit the ground. Sam then grabbed him from behind, holding his dead weight in his arms. And together Sam and John lowered Dean to floor of the cave, being careful not to jostle his injured knee. Sam placed his jacket beneath his brother's head, as he began to tremble and move once more, again fighting his way to consciousness.

"Hey, Dean. Can you hear me?"

"Yes. Shut up, I have a headache."

"Is that anyway to talk to one of your rescuers?"

"Yes, next time rescue faster."

"I was going for dramatic suspense."

"I'll alert the media."

Sam smiled down at his brother, resting a hand on his still trembling shoulder. John let out a long sigh and pulled the first aid kit from Sam's back pack. He was glad for the banter, glad to hear his boys laugh. It truth, it was something he heard far to little. Whenever he was with them he insisted they remain in hunter mode, always looking over their shoulders. He pushed away the fun, the happiness that was once so prevalent in his life. And he knew why. Happiness reminded him of Mary. She was his ray of sunshine for so long, that the darkness of life without her had swallowed up all that John was.

Mary was a guy's girl. She could tell you the score of any football game, as well as the odds. She could banter with the best of them, and even drank one of his buddies under the table. She loved with all her heart and kept a secret with everything she had in her. She cherished every moment, and cried through almost every sappy movie. Yes, to John, Mary was perfect in every way. And so were her sons. They took after her in so many ways, especially Dean. He had a lightness about life, a need to have fun that was so completely Mary that it scared John.

Everything about his life was a reminder of his lost wife, so he pushed it all away, made himself hollow. He forgot who he had once been, and tried to make his boys into soldiers. He knew that it wasn't what Mary would have wanted, but he couldn't stop himself. Everything, even photos were too much for the broken man. He had seen how great life could be, and he had seen the evil that could destroy it. And he fought it. Fought it for everyone out there that still had the good life, fought it for his sons who still had a chance, and fought it for Mary, and for the memories she touched.

John laid the first aid kit down next to Dean and then returned to his son's back pack, going over the other supplies Sam had managed to bring. He pulled out two shotguns, and a pistol as well as a large canister of salt. He then went about securing the cave, as well as collecting some wood and leaves for a fire. After he had salted the entrance and lit a fire he returned to his boys. He ripped off a few more pieces of Dean's flannel shirt and dipped them into the bottle of clean water, before moving back to his oldest son.

"Hey, Dean, how you feeling?"

"Like I fell off a cliff."

"I need you to be serious here, Dean. What hurts?"

"My head, I have a headache. And I broke my right wrist, and right knee."

"Anything else?"

"Just some bruises to my stomach, nothing major."

"All right, I'm gonna clean up your head and wrist first, before I even go near that knee."

"Ok." Dean managed, his voice getting weaker and weaker as he spoke, his eyes slowly slipping closed.

"Hey, hey." John stated, tapping Dean lightly on the cheek. "I'm gonna need you to stay awake. Ok, dude."

"Yeah."

"What do you want me to do?" Sam asked, looking up at his father. His voice was weak, and shaky, and John knew that the boy was still blaming himself.

"Just talk to him, keep him awake."

"Yeah, ok."

John then pulled back the shirt that was covering Dean's head, the tried blood holding the material to his skin. Dean took a sharp breath as his father pulled the bandage away, a thin layer a sweat already beginning to cover his body.

"Of all the times for you to clam up, Sammy." Dean joked breathlessly, as his father cleaned the wound on his head, the antiseptic burning his injured skin.

"Well you told me to shut up."

"I tell you to shut up all the time. I didn't think you'd actually do it."

"I guess there's a first time for everything."

"So, when's the first time going to be for you, Sammy." Dean laughed, raising his eyebrows to his brother. John also stifled a laugh as he continued to work on his son.

"Very funny, jerk."

"Bitch."

"I almost forgot." Sam began as he searched his pockets. "Here." He said, triumphantly holding out the tape for Dean. "I found this for you."

"Thanks. But you know, it wouldn't have been lost if a certain someone hadn't thrown it from the car."

"I said I was sorry, dude. Look, if I knew this would happen. Dean when you didn't come back, I'm so sorry."

"What did I tell you about chick flick moments. Look, unless you managed to turn yourself into a shadowy gust of wind this isn't your fault."

"But you wouldn't have been on the road."

"Stop it, Sam. I'm warning you." Dean said between clenched teeth as John began to reset the bones in his wrist. "You know," he began after taking a few steadying breaths, "this means war."

"What do you mean?"

"You threw my tape out a window. That can't go unpunished."

"Dean, come on."

"No, Sammy. He who fires the first bullet."

"I did not, you were the one who wouldn't turn around."

"I don't believe that was a prank."

"It doesn't matter."

"Oh, baldy, but it does. Besides, I never got you back for gluing me to a beer bottle."

"You said truce."

"For a hundred miles. We are way past that."

"Dean, it's always stupid."

"Oh, Sam. I can smell your fear."

"Shut up."

"What are you so afraid of? You're the one who glued me to a beer bottle."

"Oh yeah, well your the one who put nair in my shampoo, Dean, I thought I had leprosy. And who can forget the day you glued me to the toilet seat."

"Oh my god, I forgot that one. Oh, man, that was the best." Dean laughed, tears in his eyes.

"No it wasn't, Dean. I was twelve years old. It was traumatizing."

But Dean continued to laugh, and Sam could have sworn he heard a chuckle somewhere in the vicinity of his father.

"Oh, dude, stop making me laugh, it hurts."

"Whatever. No more pranks."

"You know I will never agree to something like that."

"Why?"

"Because, Sammy with his ass glued to the toilet is just too good." Dean continued to snicker as his father finished wrapping his wrist, the memory of his brother's plight taking place of his pain.

"Ok, Dean, I'm gonna need to look at that knee now."

"Can't you just put it off till tomorrow or something?"

"Nice try, kiddo. Now, I am going to give you some pills before I take the brace off, I need you to take them all."

"Ok." Dean mumbled taking the pills, knowing that setting his knee was going to be very painful.

"I'm going to give them a few minutes to kick it while I change the bandage on your stomach."

"Sure."

"So, Dad." Sam began a few minutes later, holding onto both his brother's shoulders. John had finished bandaging his stomach and was getting ready to work on the leg, all three Winchester men preparing themselves. "Any ideas about how you're gonna exorcise an entire forest?"

"Actually, yes. I think it will take several steps. First I think we should bless all the water."

"We already have holy water."

"I know that, it's not for us. There are four large rivers that feed this area. If we bless each river, then anything that water touches will be cleaned."

"I guess that's an idea."

"That's the best I got."

"And that will kill the shadow?"

"I'm not sure. That's why I think we should try and trap it and perform an exorcism on it too."

"And if that doesn't work?"

"We pray for a miracle, Sammy."

TBC

i will be very, very busy at work this week. i will post again as soon as i can.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: ok, i'm back again, sorry it took me so long to update, i have been incredibly busy. thank you again for all the reviews, they really help. i am kind of hard on myself when it comes to my writing and there is always a moment right after i post when i think everyone will hate it. :) i know, i am paranoid. so thank you all again, i love hearing from you.

this chapter was originally part of the last, but it was just getting too long so i split it up. it is a little more family bonding and brotherly banter, but dont worry, the action and suspense will be back again in the next chapter. until then, enjoy.

also, i have no knowledge of the medical field. so, sorry for any mistakes.

D: i still own nothing.

**SHADOW STALKER**

Chapter 11

Sam sat at the edge of the cave, staring blankly at the forest in front of him, the fog beginning to seep back into the silent land. He let out a long shaky sigh and wrapped his arms around his knees, his senses and emotions stressed to their breaking points. Dean had not lost consciousness until their father had almost finished setting his knee. The pain killers had done little for his older brother, and Sam's heart broke for him. He tried to be strong, tried to keep talking, keep joking, but the unwelcome tears and painful cries his older brother let slip were just too much for him. Dean was his rock, his sanity, his big, strong older brother; yet there he was laying broken and shaking on the cold forest floor.

Sam let out another long breath and wiped quickly at his eyes as his father came to sit next to him.

"He's asleep now." John stated evenly, not looking at his youngest son. The experience had been trying for him too. He had to listen to his son's pain filled cries and knew that he was the one causing them. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah." Sam whispered, still staring ahead, wiping at his eyes again. He was furious for the tears, angry that he couldn't be stronger, couldn't hold it together as their father had, as Dean would have.

"He needs a hospital, Sammy."

Sam looked up at his father, shocked when he heard the break, the tremble in the older man's voice. Sam needed to know, needed to believe that his brother would be ok, that they would all drive off into the sunset when this was over. He needed his father to tell him that, to reinforce his waning energy, make everything all right, whether fate agreed with it or not. But here was that same man sitting beside him, telling him that everything may not be ok, that this time they may have to limp into that sunset.

"Isn't there anything else you can do for him?"

"No."

"But, he'll be all right for a while. I mean, we have time?"

"I don't know, Sam. The bruising to his stomach is pretty bad, I know he hasn't broken any ribs, but that doesn't mean there isn't other internal damage."

"But there might not be."

"No, there might not be. But he's still in bad shape. I don't know what that thing did to him but he's still cold to the touch, and he hasn't regained any color."

Sam then drew in a long shaky breath before bowing his head to his knees, covering his eyes with the heels of his hands. "I'm so sorry. I'm just so sorry." He spoke quietly, almost to himself as tears slipped beneath his hands.

"Hey, Sam." John placed one hand on his son's back and pulled up his chin with the other, looking the young man in the eyes. "This is not you fault. Hell, your the most prepared person out here."

"But Dad, if I just didn't throw the tape, or if I gave him a light, or if I didn't fall asleep while he was driving, none of this would have happened."

"Sam, there could be a million different what ifs and this still would have happened. Any number of things could change where we are now. I mean, hell, what if Dean didn't get you out of your apartment in time, or what if you two didn't find me when we were hunting the vampires. What if you didn't find Dean in the orchard. Sam, I've been living with what ifs for twenty three years now. I mean, what if I didn't fall asleep watching tv, what if I was there when your mother woke up. There's no way of knowing the outcomes of our actions. This is not your fault."

"Then why does it feel that way?"

"Because, you're a good person, son. Things effect you and they should. If you weren't upset, I don't know, that wouldn't be normal."

"Yeah, I guess so." The two sat in silence for a few more minutes, both staring out into the growing darkness, Sam still replaying his father's statement in his mind. '_What if I was there when your mother woke up?'_ Sam never thought much about it before, he had always believed that the totality of his father's anger was aimed directly at the Demon. He never realized that some of that anger, that loss was directed at the man himself. And suddenly Sam understood what Dean had been trying to tell him ever since the night he lost Jessica. There was really nothing he could have done, no way to have stopped it. It wasn't his fault, and his mother's death was not his father's fault, yet both men had blamed themselves, and only Dean seemed to see how wrong that was.

"I think I got the plan almost worked out." John began, breaking Sam away from his thoughts. He then helped Sam to stand, and leaned against the wall, one eye on the forest, the other on Dean.

"Yeah?"

"We need to bless the four rivers and also perform an exorcism on the land itself. And if that doesn't do the trick, we're gonna need to trap the thing and try to exorcise it. Now, there's the river here and there's another about four miles to the east."

"That's the one we used to fill the water bottles?"

"Yeah, that's the one. They should be easy."

"And the other two?"

"The furthest is about nine miles to the north, the other is about seven miles to the south east."

"Great, there's no way we could get Dean that far."

"I know, you two aren't going."

"What!"

"No arguments, Sam. You and your brother are staying here. That's an order."

"Like hell. Dad, we've both seen what that thing can do."

"Yeah, and it seems to be doing it to just you and Dean, so far it has left me alone."

"Yeah, but you don't know if it will for sure."

"Look, Sam, it's after the two of you, so your staying in this cave. End of discussion."

"Just, let me go south and east, I can get those two out of the way. It will take to long for you to do all of them."

"I said, no."

"I don't care. Look, we can leave Dean here, he'll be safe, and we know the banishing spell worked before, I even fought it off a little when I was looking for Dean. Dad, I'll be safe."

"God damn it, Sam. Would you just follow an order for once."

"Fighting never solved anything." Both men turned around at the breathy voice, the weak sound taking them completely off guard. Dean was staring at the two of them, his green eyes glassy and bright against his pale skin.

"Dean." Sam knelt quickly by his brother's side, their fight all but forgotten. "How are you feeling?"

"I think my ass fell asleep. Can you help me sit up?"

"No, you should stay there. You might hurt yourself if you keep moving."

"If you don't help me then I'll just do it myself." He then began to try and squirm and slide his way up the wall he was laying against, careful not to pull to much on his injured leg.

"Dean, stay still."

"Make me."

"Don't think I won't."

"Come on, college boy, your gonna beat up and already injured man?"

"Jerk." Sam stated as he relented and helped his brother lean against the wall, then sat down beside him.

"Bitch." Dean wheezed out. He leaned slightly on his brother, glad that the younger man had sat down beside him. The truth of the matter was that he was in pain, a lot of it, but he wasn't about to let that show. He needed to be there for his family, to be ready if they needed him. He wouldn't be sidelined, not my god or man or some lowlife shadow with a grudge. Dean Winchester was a fighter, and the only thing that would change that would be his dying breath.

Sam repositioned his father's jacket as Dean leaned on him, the coldness of his brother's skin still unnerving. Sam knew, without a doubt, that the shadow still, somehow, had a hold on his brother. He was pale and cold, but was also lucid and wide awake, not suffering the usual symptoms of hypothermia. Just then, an intense tremor over took Dean's body as he coughed and leaned closer to Sam once more, his weak frame shivering with cold and exhaustion. Sam rubbed his hand across his brother's back, trying desperately to bring some warmth into his body, but everything he did seemed to have no effect. Dean still leaned heavily against him, and his lips were still blue, his eyes still sunken and dull.

As he sat there a rage began to grow in the younger hunter, he needed to find this thing and destroy it, he needed to keep it away from his brother. He knew that Dean would not be able to fight for himself, not in his current condition. Sam swore then that, no matter what, he would take this thing down. All his life Dean had taken care of him, and he would be damned if he didn't return the favor.

"So." Dean's weak voice pulled Sam back from his anger. "You two gonna go out and bless stuff."

"It was a thought."

"You think it will work?"

"Yeah, it should."

"Good, because I am getting sick and tired of this stupid forest."

"Tell me about it."

Dean sat quietly for a few moment, looking over to where his father stood, back to the boys, just outside the cave. He knew that the older man was preparing to leave them there, leave them to go fight demons. It wasn't just because of the conversation he over heard, he could also see it in his father's eyes. Dean always knew that look, that distant gaze, as if he was mentally preparing himself, emotionally splitting himself from them. He didn't know what exactly went through his father's mind when he left, and he wasn't sure that he wanted to know. All he knew was that he could never truly be as detached as the older hunter. He could act like it, pretend that everything was all right, that he was always fine, but he knew, deep down, that he never was. John on the other hand, Dean just didn't know. He didn't know how strongly his father felt about him, and he wasn't sure where he ultimately stood. But that was ok with the young man. He knew his father cared a great deal for his brother, especially after the encounter with the Demon, and in the end that was all that mattered. '_Keep Sammy safe.'_

"You should listen to Dad. He'll be fine out there." Dean began, his voice still barely above a whisper.

"Dean."

"No, Sam, I mean it. You should stay here, there's no telling what that thing would do to you. It almost killed you not too long ago."

"That's because I gave in to it."

"Yeah, I know. About that, smart ass, next time a demonic shadow asks you if you want to die, you say no."

"I couldn't just leave you there."

"Yes you could."

"No, I couldn't."

"You know, Sam." Dean began again after a long silence, his eyes still fixed on his father. John had now moved back to the cave, quietly eavesdropping on his boys. "When this is over. I understand, you know."

"Understand what?" Sam asked, looking down at his brother, still holding up much of his weight.

"I know you don't want to stay, and you don't have too. I'll understand."

"Dean?"

"No, Sam. It's not fair to you. You have a chance, you could have such a great future. I was wrong to try and stand in the way of that."

"You're not standing in the way."

"Yeah, well. I know that you want to go your own way."

"What about you? Dean, I'm not gonna leave you alone."

"Well, don't worry about it. I'll be fine."

"Where is this coming from?"

"Nowhere, I guess, over the past year and a half, I don't know. You're not the same kid that left for Stanford all those years ago. You've grown up a lot, you got away from it all. You don't need me around dragging you down."

"Oh my god, Dean, did you hear what that shadow was saying to me?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does. Dean, that thing was lying."

"Was it? You can't tell me that that wasn't what you were thinking when you left."

"Maybe, somewhere in my anger, but it wasn't how I really felt."

"Yeah, whatever."

"Dean, you heard what else I said. I would never do that to you again. This is my life, you're my life."

"It shouldn't be that way."

"Well it is."

"Whatever, Sam."

"Hey, you really thought you could get rid of me that easy?"

"It was a try." Dean smiled up at his brother, his face looking strangely young and fragile. He was fighting with everything he had, but he could still feel himself losing, still feel the shadows pulling him away. He needed Sam to know that he would be all right without him, that it would be ok to let him go. He could feel the cold hugging his body, wrapping around his senses, and he knew, that he may not get out of that forest alive.

"Sam." John's gruff voice sounded impressively loud after the boy's quiet conversation. "I need you to do an inventory for me, all the supplies."

"Yes, sir." Sam stated, he then squeezed his older brother's shoulder gently and helped prop him up against the wall, before moving over to the far side of the cave and removing all their supplies from his back pack.

John watched the interaction between his son's with a heavy heart. There was no doubt in his mind that he was an outsider, a mere spectator to the amazing bond that the boys shared. He knew it was his fault, his training, but it still hurt him. He could see, as could many, just how special, how amazing Sam and Dean were, and it hurt him to no end to also see how broken they were. And he feared what may one day be the inevitable outcome, that his boys may lose each other, both just fading away. And being known by so few, he was afraid they would be missed by even less.

"Dean, how are you doing?" John kneeled down in front of his oldest, looking the young man in the eyes as he began to check him over once more.

"I'm freezing."

"I'll get the fire going a little stronger. Is that helping at all."

"Not really. But it was a nice gesture."

"Anything else?"

"My right leg is numb, from right above my knee to my foot."

"How long." John asked, immediately rolling up his son's pant leg to survey the damage. He winced when he saw the pale blue tinge to his already pale skin, knowing that he was losing circulation. Out of the corner of his eye John saw Sam turn and stare, alarm evident in his eyes. "Come on, Sam, I need that done. Dean, how long?"

"I started to feel pins and needles about a half hour ago, that's when I woke up."

"Ok. I think you damaged some of the blood vessels when you broke your knee. I'm gonna lay you back down."

"No." Dean snapped, a little to quickly, startling his father.

"What? What else is wrong?"

"My back, it hurts too much to lay down."

"What's wrong with your back?"

"I hit it on some rocks the second time I fell."

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I guess I forgot. Other stuff hurt a little worse back then."

"Come on, let me look."

"I'm fine."

"Dean."

"Ok." Dean barely managed through clenched teeth as he leaned forward into his father, John cradling his son's weak body as he pulled up his shirt to examine his back. Dean let out a short gasp, his face buried in his father's shoulder as he ran a hand over the large bruises. John took in a long, deep breath. They were bad. Dean's back was covered in large, deep purple, black, and blue bruises, many of them warm to the touch. He slowly finished examining his son's back, his fears growing. '_Internal bleeding.'_

"Damn it." John swore, barely above a whisper, but still loud enough for both his boys to hear. '_This can't be happening. Not now.'_ John felt utterly helpless, his son slowly dying in his arms, the older man having no way to ease his pain, fix his broken body. Instead of leaning him back against the wall, John pulled Dean's cold body in closer to his own. His eyes shone with moister as he rested his chin on top of his son's head, Dean burying his face further into his father's chest.

"Dad?" Sam asked tentatively, kneeling unmoving by his empty back pack.

"Are you done yet?"

"Almost."

"Good, finish up, then let me know." John ordered, rubbing the back of Dean's neck, still holding him.

"What's wrong?"

"Please, Sam, just finish up, then let me know what we have."

"Yes, sir."

Sam then turned back to the task he had been assigned as John continued to try and warm him freezing son.

"Back's that bad, huh." Dean stated quietly.

"Yeah. You really did a number of yourself there, kiddo."

"Well, you know me, never half ass a job."

"To true."

"Is there a big rock sticking out of me or something?"

"No, but the bruising. I'm worried that you are bleeding internally."

"Oh." Dean said softly after a few moment, prompting John to pull him closer.

"Don't worry, we'll get you out of here."

"We don't have time for you to go to all four rivers."

"I know."

"I think Sam can do it."

"I know he can."

"He's a good hunter."

"You both are."

"Just one thing though, Dad."

"Yeah?"

"Tell Rambo Sammy over there to tone it down a notch, he's stealing my thunder."

John smiled, "I'll pass on the message."

"I'm done." Sam said, as he came over to the two. "We have three pistols, three shot guns, with a few extra iron and salt round for each. We also have two knives, two things of holy water, both journals, a book of rituals, six rosaries, a lighter, salt, lighter fluid, two flashlights and two walkie talkies."

"And food?"

"Two packets of beef jerky, three packets of M&Ms, four slim jims and five packets of cookies. We also only have three water purification tablets left."

"Ok." John signed, still holding Dean against his chest, feeling his slow and even breathing, knowing he had again fallen asleep.

"It's not enough." Sam whispered rubbing his hands over his face.

"It will have to be."

"What about, Dean?"

"It's bad, Sam. We need to get him out of here as soon as we can."

"What can I do?"

"Go get me some of the jerky and a bottle of water, while I wake him up."

"Yes, sir."

"Dean." John rubbed that back of his son's neck softly, trying to wake the man. "Dean, come on dude, look alive."

"What?" Dean asked, his voice shaky and weak.

"I need you to eat and drink something."

"Steak and beer?"

"Beef jerky and water."

"I'm not hungry."

"Too bad, because you're still eating it."

"Here." Sam came back with the provisions.

"Ok, Sam, I'm gonna lean him against you, I don't want his back hitting that wall. Ready?"

"Yeah." Sam took his brother under the arms and gently maneuvered him away from the cold stone wall and rested his back against his chest, letting his brother's head rest on his shoulder.

"Here, Dean. Just eat a little." John said, handing him some meat and water.

"Yes, sir."

"When are we gonna go bless the rivers?" Sam asked tentatively as his brother began to eat slowly.

"Tomorrow."

"Why wait?"

"We don't stand a chance against that thing in the dark. We're just gonna have to hold up here and wait till daylight."

"I have a stupid question." Dean piped up, sleep creeping up on him once more.

"What else is knew."

"Shut up."

"What, Dean." John asked as he began to rebuild their small fire, knowing how cold the night would be. He only hoped that Dean would be able to handle it.

"Why don't we just go back to the cars and drive away?"

"Oh." Sam whispered. In all the chaos no one had told Dean the entire story.

"Oh, what? Where's my car, Sam?"

"It's missing."

"What do you mean it's missing?"

"It's not in a place that I am aware of."

"What did you do to it?" Dean weakly demanded, shooting his brother his trade mark you-touched-my-car look.

"Nothing. I went looking for you and when I went back to the car it wasn't there."

"So, maybe you're lost and the car is just waiting for your dumb ass."

"No, because the same thing happened to Dad."

"So, we really can't leave?"

"We'll get rid of the shadow." John cut in, the defeat in Dean's voice almost killing him. "We think the shadows are just cloaking the cars, after we kill them they should be right where we left them."

"Ok." Dean managed as his eyelids began to slide closed.

"Dean, come on man, stay awake."

"Let him sleep, Sam."

"He didn't eat much."

"I know, but I don't think we'll be able to get him to eat much more anyway."

"Yes, sir. I'll lay him down."

"No, his injuries are pretty bad, and the grounds really cold, I'm afraid it will make him worse."

"Then what do you suggest?"

"We need to keep him as warm and comfortable as possible, Sam. I want you to stay with him."

"Yes, sir." Sam then shifted around and leaned his own body against the cold wall of the cave. John draped his jacket over Dean as Sam pulled him closer to his chest, rubbing his arms, trying in vain to warm him.

"So, I'm going south and east?"

"Yeah. We need to do this as fast as we can."

"Yeah, I know."

"We'll leave as soon as it's light. I'm gonna bless this river, then go north, I want you to head to the farthest one first, you can get the other on the way back. We'll meet back here to exorcise the land."

"Yes, sir."

"Just be careful, Sam."

"I will. Do you think the salt is enough to keep the shadow from the cave? I mean, Dean can't defend himself."

"I think so, but I also put a devil's trap on both sides of the entrance, just in case. That thing won't get to your brother."

"All right."

"Just remember, Sam, don't stop for anything. These shadows are messing with us. Just keep moving, focus on the task at hand."

"Yes, sir."

"Ok, now, get some rest. And tomorrow, we're gonna hunt this bastard down."

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: hello everyone. sorry for the delay. thank you again to everyone for the great reviews. i am having so much fun writing this story, i am glad everyone is enjoying it. now, on with the show.

D: nothing, i still own nothing.

**SHADOW STALKER**

Chapter 12

John sat silently at the edge of the cave, his back leaning against the cold stone wall, eyes watching both his sons and the forest. The night had descended on them quick and complete, all light, even the moon and stars, was drown out by it. John knew the shadow was growing stronger once again, that they were running out of time. He felt outnumbered by the darkness, the shadows dancing, taunting, just beyond the mouth of the cave. John shivered involuntarily and went to grab the salt canister, reinforcing his protective perimeter.

After he had checked the rest of his protection symbols he went over to his sleeping sons, bringing more wood to rebuild the fire. John quietly sat beside the boys and began stoking the small fire. Dean was noticeably shaking in his brother's arms, his skin even paler in the dim light. He looked strangely small laying against his younger brother, one of Sam's long arms draped over his shoulder. He reached out and ran his hand over Dean's face, subconsciously tracing the area the shadow had frozen. He was even colder, if that was at all possible, and even in sleep he trembled with the chill. And John knew, without a doubt, that his oldest son would not survive another night in that cave. He was amazed that he had even managed to survive that one. He knew his son was strong, but it had not been until recently that he had learned just how strong the young man was. Most people in his condition would have given up hours ago. But Dean was fighting with everything he had in him, and John quietly begged his son to fight just a little more, to hold on for a few more hours.

"He will be mine soon."

John spun around, his entire body tense, facing the entrance of the cave, the icy voice sending chills down his spine.

"You will never have them, I won't allow it." John stated evenly, moving in front of his boys.

"But I already have one of them."

"Not for long."

"You know." The shadow began, its voice dripping with venom, eyes shining with greed. "If that boy dies in this forest, he will be mine."

"Over my dead body."

"You really have no choice in the matter."

"Yeah, and why is that?"

"Because, all souls lost in this forest become my property."

"He is not going to die here."

"Don't be stupid, John, look at the boy. You know as well as I that he is beyond hope."

"I've saved him from worse."

"But there are only so many times someone can challenge death and win."

"Maybe so, but I am not about to lose now."

"Noble. But just remember, no amount of salt or symbols can save his soul. What dies in this forest, remains in this forest."

"The shadows?"

"Yes, the shadows. They are the souls of every living being that has died here, animal and man."

"What the hell are you?"

"Like I told your boy, I am the shadow of life, the footprint of all souls."

"Are you a reaper?"

"No."

"A demon?"

"For lack of a better term. You see, John, I am a manifestation of darkness, of decay, of fear. I live off the emotions of the world, take them away from your minds, lessen the burdens of your spirits. Without me there would be no filter, no buffer, human emotions would run unchecked."

"So."

"You know as well as I that if there is light there must also be darkness, it is only natural. And I am that darkness."

"What do you want from us?"

"I want your boys."

"Well, that's not gonna happen."

"I need them, John, more then you know. I have been sensing them, feeding off of them, waiting for them since they were little children. Your boys are such a wealth of emotions, such a untapped reservoir of pain. They alone could feed me more then all the shadow in my possession."

"Go to hell."

"I've come with an offer."

"I don't deal with demons."

"I know others who would beg to differ. Now, my offer. I will let you and the youngest go free, all I want is the older boy."

"Never."

"Come now, we both know he is dying. I am offering you a chance to save your precious Sammy."

"If you know he's dying then why make the offer. You would have him anyway."

"He is not as strong as a spirit. I would prefer him alive."

"I don't give a damn what you prefer. I will not give you my son."

"You want to prolong his suffering?"

"I will not sacrifice one of my children."

"Then you will lose them both."

"I will not lose them to you."

"We will see." And with that the shadow was gone, leaving John once again in the oppressive silence. He stared out into the darkness for a few more minutes before turning back to his boys, checking Dean over once more. The shadow's confession was like a blow to his heart. If Dean died there he would be lost forever, to everyone, become nothing more then a shadow, misting its way through continual darkness. He could not let that happen, he wouldn't let that happen.

John leaned against the wall next to his sons, knowing that he too needed rest. He brushed his hand over Dean's forehead once more as he watched his boys sleep.

"Just keep fighting, Dean. Just please don't give up."

666666666666666666666666666666666

Sam awoke slowly the next morning, the fog once again thick against the weak light of the sun. He tried to stretch his tired body, but the weight of his brother kept him from moving.

"You gotta lay off the cheeseburgers, Dean." Sam joked quietly as he tried to shift around, taking care not to aggravate any of Dean's injuries.

"Need some help there, Sam." John began, bringing with him some water and food from the supplies. He sat and gently took Dean into his own arms, as Sam stood and worked to wake his sore body. Dean remained still and quiet, his breathing still even and shallow. He was fading away, John could feel it. He could not, would not let him die, not knowing that his soul would be trapped there forever. He knew that this was one fight he could not lose, and come hell or high-water, he would find away to keep Dean safe.

"Dad?"

"Yeah, Sam."

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, why?" John asked, leaning back against the wall, Dean's head and back resting against his chest.

"Well, I called your name a few times before you answered. What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Dad, come on, give me a little credit all right, I'm not a kid anymore."

"I know that, Sam, and I'm sorry."

"Then tell me what's wrong."

"We can't waste anymore time, but I don't want to leave Dean here alone."

"He'll be safe."

"No he won't, Sam."

"What do you mean?"

"I saw the shadow last night."

"What did it want?"

"To make an offer. Dean for you and me."

"You said no, right?"

John looked up at his son in disbelief. '_What does he think I am.'_ That simple statement was like a million daggers to his heart. What did his son think of him, what had he done to destroy all of his boy's faith. What could he have done to make Sam think he would give up his own child, turn his back on a young man that needed so much. John understood Dean's love for his family, understood it to the point where it terrified him. There was nothing he wouldn't do, no moment he would waste with hesitation when it came to his father and brother.

Had Dean been given the offer he would have sacrificed himself in mere seconds, given himself to protect those he loved. However, John knew that it would be different if he offered the sick boy to the shadow. While he believed that Dean would understand his choice entirely, even agree, knowing that it would save Sam, Dean's heart would still be crushed. Yes, he would always sacrifice himself for his family, but his family should never sacrifice him. It would be a betrayal to everything he did for them.

"Of course, Sam."

"Sorry. So, what happened?"

"The thing went into an evil monologue. What else would the bad guy do."

"I guess if you're gonna be evil, better do it by the book. What did it say? Did it tell you what it was?"

"Not by name, more of a description. When I asked it said that it was the same thing it told my son. Did it tell you?"

"No, all it did was mess with my head."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing really, it was just playing with emotions." Sam answered quickly, he really didn't want to get into the events of the night he walked away, especially with his father. It had been hard on him, and though what the shadow had said was true of that moment, it was not how Sam felt about his brother now. But it still tore his heart out, still kept him awake. He had walked out on the most important thing in his life, purposefully ignoring him until the night he returned. He knew he was wrong, and he knew he had severely crippled their relationship that night, but he also knew one other thing. No matter what, he would not leave him again. "What else did it say?"

"We have to keep your brother from it."

"What do you mean, what aren't you telling me?"

"The shadows."

"What about them?"

"They're the souls of everything that has died here. Whenever something dies in this forest its soul becomes the property of the shadow. It gets trapped here forever."

"Dean."

"If he dies... Sam, he'll be gone. No afterlife, nothing. He'll just be part of this fog, and there will be nothing we can do."

"There has to be something. I mean, there's always a way."

"Not always, Sam."

"But, Dad, we can't let that happen."

"I know." John said quietly as Dean shifted in his arms, trying to rejoin the waking world. "Start packing up, I want to leave in thirty minutes, I want this over."

"Yes, sir." Sam made his way slowly back to the supplies, his eyes never leaving his brother. That couldn't be true, there was always a way. Dean couldn't just be lost forever, he was too strong, too important to just fade into mist.

"Is he really that bad?" All through the last day Sam had been telling himself, willing his mind to believe that his brother would be ok, but the sorrow and fatigue in their father's voice shattered all his inner resolve.

"Yes, Sam."

Sam took in a long breath and knelt by his back pack, quietly preparing their meager armory. He breathed in again and blinked back the moisture that was blurring his vision. '_I may never see him again, ever. I have to fix this.'_ He looked back once more at his small and fractured family. His father was leaning against the wall, head back and eyes closed as he unconsciously brushed back Dean's hair, whispering unheard words of encouragement. Sam took another breath, he would not lose, he would not disappoint them again. He would fix this, no matter what it took, he would not let his brother vanish because of his own burst of anger.

"Are you done yet, Sam?"

"Yeah."

"Good, I want to get your brother settled before we go. I need you to hold him while I check him over."

"Yes, sir." Sam then sat in front of his father, taking Dean's limp body into his arms, resting his brother's forehead on his shoulder. Dean groaned and shifted, fighting the new movement.

"Hey, you awake there, buddy?" John asked as he rolled up Dean's shirt, checking the bruising to his back. He was relieved to see that some of the swelling had gone down and a few of the bruises were no longer warm. '_Maybe we will get through this.'_ "How are you feeling?"

"Go away."

"I'll let that slide for now."

"I feel like crap. But not as bad as yesterday."

"That's good. Your back doesn't look so bad, but you are still too cold."

"Its the shadow."

"What do you mean?"

"I can still see its eyes. It feels like it's next to me, but I know it isn't. I think it made me crazy."

"Made you." Sam joked, relieved to hear that his brother was in better shape, if only slightly.

"Shut up, bitch."

"Make me, jerk. Ow. Did you just pinch me."

"Smurff bite."

"Ow, knock it off."

"Make me."

"Come on, boys, lets deal with the injuries we have before we start making new ones."

"Yes sir." The boys replied in unison.

"Ow." Sam swatted again at the back of his neck as Dean snickered weakly.

John gently took Dean from Sam's arms and leaned him back against the wall, before checking the bandages on his stomach, head, and wrist. He was happy to see his oldest son smiling, even though he did look slightly drunk in his injured state. He smiled when Sam sat down beside his brother, the older boy immediately leaning against him. John reached over and squeezed Sam's shoulder as he continued to check over Dean, pride evident in his eyes.

"So, Dad." Dean began weakly, his eyes half open and unfocused. "Do you have any idea what this thing is."

"Actually, yes. I think it is an Asura."

"What's that?"

"It's Zoroastrian."

"Wait, like a Deava?" Sam asked, looking over to the mouth of the cave, that was the last thing they needed.

"Yeah. In Hindu mythology they are the opposites of each other. The Deavas were the gods while the Asura were the demons."

"No offense, but the Deava's seemed to be pretty Demonic in my memory." Dean added.

"Well, that was mythology. In reality, Deavas are like animals, they have to be summoned and controlled while Asuras act on their own free will. In Sanskrit the name Asura literally mean, power-hungry, or power-seeking. They are shadows just like the Deavas but they use lies and manipulations to get what they want."

"And what do they feed on, what's their power source." Sam asked as he moved closer to his brother. Dean still shivering beside him.

"Souls." Dean answered. "They feed on the human soul."

"How do you know that?" John asked, looking up from his son's knee.

"It told me. It said that Sam and me were valuable, that other things would pay a lot to be able to hunt us, or trade for us."

"What? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"I was more preoccupied with getting the hell out of here."

"What else did it say?"

"Something changed its plans. It wanted to keep me and Sam here to hunt, but it said it had to trade one of us instead now."

"Why only one?" Sam asked, his fear growing with each moment. '_What the hell are we in the middle of now.' _

"It wants to keep one of us for itself I guess. I think it's really weak. It said something about moving out of the forest, but I guess it needs more power. It wants to trade one of our souls and keep the other."

"I wonder what happened to change its plans." Sam asked, unconsciously moving closer to his brother, the idea of something trying to trade his soul unnerving him.

"I guess it didn't plan on you boys being able to fight it."

"If you haven't noticed we are doing a piss poor job of fighting it off at the moment." Sam answered sourly, the entire situation beginning to grate on his nerves. Their lives were being played with for nothing more then to feed a power hungry demon, and Sam had had enough.

"Its Dad." Dean answered weakly, not wanting to listen to another fight.

"What?"

"Dad, he wasn't supposed to be here. I think that is what's screwing the thing up."

"You boys are as good at hunting as I am. Why would I make the difference?"

"Your reputation." Sam answered, the truth finally dawning on him. "I guess, in the supernatural world, you're it. Everyone knows you, knows how good you are. Dean and me, we're still kind of new at it all. I mean, new at doing it by ourselves." Sam added at the angry look his brother was giving him. "Maybe other things won't come to hunt us if they know you're here. Maybe you scared them off. Without the power that they would bring to it, the shadow won't be able to keep us here. That's probably why it keeps taunting us, it needed to feed."

"That's a lovely thought." Dean chimed in. "A soul shark. Wonderful."

"So, you think we probably have the upper hand." John began, his voice growing stronger with each moment. They finally had a glimmer of a chance, and that was all they needed. Nothing, not even gods would keep the Winchesters down.

"Yeah, and I think the whole blessing the water idea will do the trick. Remember when you first told me, then the wind picked up. It was probably trying to stop us."

"But you found your brother right after that. Why would it let you see him?"

"I didn't. I fought it."

"All right, we go with our original plan. If we run we should be able to get it done within the next two hours. Just bless the water and go, Sammy, we'll come back to do the exorcism here."

"Yes, sir."

"And, Dean. I don't want you to leave this cave for anything, got that. No matter what, I need you to promise me that."

"But what if something happens? What if it goes for Sam?"

"Sam and I will have the walkie talkies. We'll check in ever ten minutes. If I don't hear from him I will get him."

"But Dad."

"No, Dean. I can't have you out there, I need you to say here. That's an order."

"Yes sir."

"Thank you. Now, I'm gonna help you lay down by the fire. You have to stay awake all right."

"Yes, sir."

"I mean it, Dean. If you die here, your soul stays here."

"Yes, sir."

"We'll be back soon, then we'll all get out of here. Just stay strong, ok son."

"Yes, sir." Dean answered roboticly, the idea of his father and Sam fighting the shadow without him was more then he could bare. He felt useless, unimportant. What good was he if he couldn't hunt, if he couldn't keep Sam safe. He should have been more careful, should have seen the signs. His father wouldn't have been caught off guard like that, he would have killed the thing quick and clean, not ended up fighting for his life in a freezing cave. Even the bad guys knew he was the weaker hunter.

"Ok, Sam, you ready to do this?"

"Yes, sir." And with one last look at his brother Sam, stepped over the line of salt and followed his father out into the forest. He listened to John as he said the prayer and dropped the rosary into the river, the murky water turning crystal clear as the blessed beads hit the surface. The winds blew and the forest groaned as he watched the rosary sink down into the torrent, the surrounding fog lessening slightly. The two men then nodded to each other as they turned and stalked off in opposite directions, leaving the cave, and Dean, alone in the silent forest.

From its rocky perch high above the shadow watched with uninhibited hatred. They were winning, but not for long. It watched the two hunters walk off into the forest, fighting its shadows as they went. It then looked over to Joshua, making his way back from the south, hunting those he once called friends. It fed off the fears and hopes of the three hunters, taking in their powerful souls. But it knew it was not enough, it knew it needed more. The shadow then slowly moved its lustful eyes back to the cave, back to its prey.

It could feel Dean, even through the barriers his father had secured. The young man was terrified and alone, finally giving into the darkness. It could hear him sobbing, feel him shaking, knowing that the young man feared that he would die alone. And it breathed in deep the despair that that fear awoke. Soon, soon Dean would belong to the shadow, bringing with him a strength unmatched. The shadow then closed it eyes and misted away, fading once again into the dark air.

TBC

A/N: Info time. Asura are real, well, real in the sense that i did not make them up. there are all different web sites about them including wikipedia (take that info for what it is though.) they are the opposing forces to the deavas. neither is inherently good or evil, they just exist. they are at constant war with each other. in some stories it is said that the deavas chose to speak in the truth while asuras chose to speak only lies.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: ooo, finally the action i have been so eager to write. this chapter is a little shorter, but i like it, i hope you all will too. thank you again for all the reviews, i am glad you are enjoying this as much as me.

D: the title is mine, that's about it.

**SHADOW STALKER**

Chapter 13

John jogged quickly through the dense forest, the gray fog pushing at him from all sides, a hollow wind holding him back, trying to force him to the ground. But they were weakening, he could feel it. The sun was shinning through the clouds with a brilliance he hadn't seen since he first used the banishing spell. And so he pressed on, his mind oblivious to all else, his only goal to save his boys. He needed to be a father for them, needed to be strong for them, needed to save them. He had put them in so much danger, trained them to be warriors, to fight the good fight. But this was something he had never expected.

John, along with many others, believed the supernatural to be single minded killers, nothing more then darkness hiding in the light. He had never suspected something like this; a plot to trap and hunt his sons, to sell them to the highest bidder. And that changed everything. No longer were they just hunting angry spirits or dull minded monsters, now they were fighting beings with just as much cunning as them. At some point he and his sons had crossed a line, ventured into the major leagues, and he knew that they were not prepared for it. He had made his boys targets, mistakenly giving them up to the darkness he had sworn to fight.

But no more. He would save them, he would show all those who dare touch his family what their punishment would be. Nothing, not god or man or supernatural being would hurt his boys. If those he hunted were afraid of him now, just wait until he got his hands on the thing that had done this to his sons. Then, they would all see what a force John Winchester really was.

He continued on into the silent forest, the air around him pressing in, blinding him with the haze. He slowed down to a quick walk, not wanting to run into any unforeseen obstacles that may lay in his path. He quickly pulled out the small walkie talkie when he heard the three clicks come through the static.

"I'm here, Sam."

"Any problems yet?" His son's voice broke through the white noise of the handset.

"The wind and fog. Same as before. You?"

"Not really, it's pretty clear."

"Have you made it to the south river?"

"About half way."

"Ok, Sam. Stay sharp. Next check in ten."

"Yes, sir. Be careful."

"Same to you."

"Out."

"Out." John clipped the radio to his belt as he tightened his grip on the shotgun. Something wasn't right, there was nothing impeding his youngest son's progress. '_Why isn't the thing going for Sam?'_ John knew he should have been grateful but the entire situation did not sit right with him. Something else was going on. He quickened his pace, now running through the forest. He had to get to the river and back, he had to be with his boys, something about all of this just wasn't adding up.

A sudden burst of air caught John between his shoulder blades, knocking the air from his lungs and pushing him to the ground. He had made it about another three miles before the attack, and he could hear the rushing of the water off in the distance. He pulled himself quickly to his feet, shotgun raised, eyes scanning the forest for his attacker. Slowly the shadow formed in front of him, eyes steely gray, face contorted in a hideous smile.

"Getting clumsy in your old age."

"A pretty low blow for something that's supposed to be powerful."

"Funny."

"I try."

"You won't win, you know."

"It seems I'm ahead of the game."

"What things seem and what they are are not always the same thing."

"Enlighten me." Just then there was another great groan from the forest as the light above brightened again. The shadow before John suddenly misted away before reforming, its outline less defined from before. '_Sam blessed the south river. Only two more.'_ "Looks like my boy's done his job."

"For the moment."

"You don't seem too worried about your impending defeat."

"That is because I have no intention of being defeated."

"Sam can fight off your shadows."

"Yes he can. But you have trained them to fight the supernatural. You never trained them to fight the living."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I think you know."

"Joshua?"

The shadow only laughed, it vulgar smile growing wider at the look of horror and unrestrained anger that crossed over the seasoned hunter's face. "Yes, Joshua."

"What did you do to him? Why are you controlling him?"

"Controlling him? I am doing nothing of the sort. He came to me."

"That's a lie."

"Oh, John, you are so blind when it comes to matters of humanity. Joshua betrayed you, sold me your boys of his own free will."

"Why would he do that?"

"Ask him yourself, I believe he is following Sam at the moment. Or maybe, he has already made it to Dean. You know, salt can keep me away, but a man, well, you have no protection against him."

"You want to make a trade, fine. Me for my boys."

"But I don't want you."

"You can't have them."

"John, you are in check mate, it is a little late for ultimatums now." And with that the shadow misted away, leaving John alone again in the dying fog.

Joshua. The name sounded vial in his mind, a sickening taste building in his mouth. He had trusted him, believed in him, relied upon him. He had put his sons in his care, entrusted him with the most important things in his life and this was how he repaid him. He lured them here, traded them to the Asura for something, given the boys up to the very evil he had sworn to fight. John had thought of Joshua as a brother, a part of his extended family of hunters. But now, who could he trust, who could be rely upon, who would care for his children. Jim and Caleb were dead and now Joshua had turned against him. In that very moment John felt his senses crumble. He had believed, blindly that evil and good were black and white. But now all he saw where the shades of gray, the shadows of what he had trusted, what he had believed in. '_How many other would sell them out. How safe were the boys?'_

John turned back in the direction of the river, the winds picking up once again. He had to bless it, had to finish his job. He wanted nothing more then to be with his sons, to break Joshua's neck then slowly tear him limb from limb, but he knew that would accomplish nothing. He needed to get rid of the shadow, then he would have a talk with his old friend.

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Sam knelt silently on the banks of the south river, the water before him running deep and clear, the shadows around him wavering behind the trees, falling back into the forest. He could feel the air clear, feel the wind diminish. They were winning, they could do this. '_Dean will be fine.'_ He kept repeating that to himself, willing himself to believe it, forcing himself to forget how hurt his brother really was. He needed to know that he would be ok, because he couldn't think of life without him. A world without Dean would be an empty world. He was so full of life, so loud, so ready for anything, that Sam knew his absence would be all too noticeable. Dean would take too much with him, too many of Sam's memories were tied up with the older boy.

He took a long steadying breath and looked once more at the clear, cold water, his mind running over with memories. '_Why do I feel like I already lost him?'_ Sam shook his head and stood, he couldn't let his mind wander, he had work to do. His brother, his family needed him, now more then ever. This was a winner take all fight, and there was no way he was going to let some lowlife shadow demon steal Dean from him.

Sam turned and headed off in the direction of the second river, tightening the grip on his shotgun as his brown eyes scanned the woods around him. This was too easy, something was wrong. Nothing had tried to stop him, not wind, or fog, or shadows. He had been ready for an attack, waiting to see the shadow in front of him, bracing for the wind that would force him to the ground. But nothing came, nothing stopped his progress towards the river, and that unnerved him greatly.

He knew that blessing the water was making the shadow weaker, he could feel it in the air, see it in the way the fog dissipated as the water ran clear. There had to be something else, some other way for the thing to draw power, something it could do to release itself from the pure land. '_Dean.'_ He was the key, he was what the shadow needed. Dean's soul was strong enough to free it from the forest, separate it from the land. As long as the thing was bound to the area the holy water would be able to destroy it, but the moment it had Dean, the rivers would make no difference.

Sam quickened his pace, his heart beginning to race, the thing had a plan, something Sam and his father had missed. There must be another way for the Asura to get to Dean, something Sam had overlooked. He had to get to the other river before that thing had the chance to steal his brother. He just hoped he was ahead of the game, and that his father had been able to bless the north river. It was all or nothing, and the prize was Dean's life.

The lone figure watched Sam as he stalked away from the river, heading back in the direction of his family. He was amazed at the hunter Sam Winchester had become. As a child he was always the weaker of the three, the one less inclined to fight, wishing more for the safety of home. He was so different, so much more innocent then the other two. But now, he was no longer the child that Joshua had remembered, the young man he saw before him was a warrior. He was so much more like his brother then Joshua had thought possible, so much stronger then he thought he could be. He steadied himself as he moved to follow the young man before him, clearing his mind of the memories.

He had watched Sam grow, watched both of the boys become the men they were today. He had been there for them, protected them, been given the privilege of caring for them. But he had no choice, it was kill or be killed and he would not wait to die because of them. '_This is what has to be done. There is no other way.'_ He did care for the boys, a great deal, but lately being in contact with the Winchesters was like a death sentence. Joshua told himself that something would eventually take the boys, that they had no way of making it out of the supernatural world alive. He convinced himself that what he was doing was justified, needed, expected. '_If it wasn't me, then it would be someone else.'_

He continued to follow Sam as he made his way through the forest, knowing that he had to stop the young man from reaching the other river. He had no hope of reaching John in time to stop him, and quite frankly, he had no desire to meet the hunter face to face. There was no doubt in his mind that John would kill him on the spot for what he had done to Sam and Dean. No, he was no match for John, but he knew that he would be able to over power Sam. He would stop Sam, turn him over to the shadow before heading to out to find Dean, knowing that he was the shadow's real prize. He needed to have at least one of the boys in his possession, have some kind of bargaining chip when it came to the demon and he knew the older boy would be the perfect bribe. He was severely injured and greatly desired, two things that Joshua had working in his favor.

He was brought back from him musings when he heard three clicks break through the static of Sam's radio, his father calling in to check on the boy once again.

"Yeah, Dad."

"Sam, I just had a run in with the Asura again."

"What did it say?"

"It's Joshua, he's working with the thing. He set the whole thing up."

"What!"

"He made some kind of deal with it. The Asura gave him something in return for you two."

"So why did he come here?"

"I don't think he was supposed to, I'm guessing part of the deal was to keep me away."

"You said he tried to talk you out of this road."

"Yeah, like you said before, the shadow wanted more time with you."

"Do you know where Joshua is now?"

"The shadow said he was somewhere near you."

"It could be lying."

"I don't want to take that chance. Did you get the south river."

"Yeah, I'm on my way north east now, what about you?"

"I am almost there, another mile or so."

"Dad, Dean doesn't have anything to protect himself. What if Joshua is there."

"Finish with the river, then we'll get back to him."

"Yes, sir."

"Sam, be careful. Joshua is a good hunter and tracker, you gotta keep your eyes open for him."

"What if I find him?"

"Shoot him on sight."

"Dad."

"I mean it Sam, it's him or us and I am not about to let that back stabbing jackass be the death of you two."

"And I'm not about to let you two bastards be the death of me." Sam spun on the spot, brown eyes meeting stone blue, Joshua's eyes cold and indifferent.

And before Sam could react Joshua slammed the butt of his shotgun into the boys face, sending him to the ground in an unconscious heap. He sneered down at his prey, blood running from the gash across his face. He would not lose his life to mere children, he would not die because of a long held grudge. He stepped over the young man's still body, not even looking back as the shadows wove their way from the forest, encircling the boy, the echo of the walkie talkie the only sound in the dying air.

"Sam, are you there? Sam, answer me. Sammy!"

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: hello again everyone. time for another update. i want to thank everyone again for the reviews, they are very much appreciated. i also want to say sorry for the delay in updating, i dont know what is wrong with me but i have been having alot of trouble staying awake the last week. everytime i try to write i end up falling asleep. go figure. i will try to be quicker with the updates, but who knows.

i also wanted to take this time to say sorry to Dean. i swear when i started the story i had no intention of beating him up so badly, it was just the long i wrote the worse he got. i think we should all get together and give him a big hug. lol.

well, that is all from the peanut gallery. on with the show.

D: i am still waiting on my mail order winchesters.

**SHADOW STALKER**

Chapter 14

Joshua walked purposefully through the forest, the fog around him dissipating even more as the winds blew quick then silenced. John had made it to the other river, they were running out of time. He knew that John was on to him, knew that if the Winchesters won there would be no place for the hunter to hide. He would find him, hunt him like an animal, kill him for sacrificing his boys. But there was no other choice, nothing that could have been done. The boys were marked, a prize put on their lives, and he knew that the man who brought them in would gain a powerful protection. They were like a get out of jail free card.

He quickened his pace, knowing that John was on his way back to the boys. He wasn't sure whether he would go to the cave, Sam, or the other river first; he just hoped he could get his job done without running into him. The Asura was very weak, but by no means powerless. Joshua knew what it needed, knew what he had to do. The shadow didn't have the strength to deal with either John or Sam, both hunters being too powerful for it in its frail state. But Dean, that was another story. He was hurt, dying, and what the shadow wanted, all things that worked in the man's favor. He was just hoping that he didn't have a walkie talkie as well. Joshua needed Dean to trust him, needed him to follow him, and while he was injured, Joshua was sure he could probably still put up one hell of a fight.

He smelled the distant aroma of burnt wood, and heard the familiar sound of running water. '_As good a place as any.'_ Joshua thought, knowing that John would have left his son in the safety of one of those caves, and the sent of fire would help lead him on. His stomach twisted as he hunted Dean, knowing that the boy would not be with this world much longer. He had betrayed them, he knew it, and he was ashamed of it. Dean and Sam were young, far to young to die. He knew deep down that they would never both be long for this world and, despite all else, that hurt him. They were good kids, '_the best_' but their father had chosen a life for them that would undermined that all. They grew to hunt, to kill, and now they were playing with the heavy hitters, fighting in a league few hunters ventured into. Yes they were still young, but they were by no means children.

Joshua took a long breath and closed his eyes, quietly praying for forgiveness. He had made a deal with a demon, with the darkness he had long ago pledged to fight. He had his reasons, _'good reasons_', but that still didn't change what he had done. He had sold himself out, turned his back on everything he once believed in, and it was all because of the Winchesters.

"I'm sorry, Dean." He whispered as he saw the salt barrier across the entrance to the cave, knowing what he would find on the other side. He steadied himself before heading to the cave, bracing himself to forfeit a life that had barely been lived.

"Dean, are you there?" He called as he neared the cave a few meters away. "Dean, I found Sam in the woods, he's hurt I couldn't move him. I can't find your father, the radios are broken. Dean?" Joshua made it to the edge of the cavern and turned, heart clenching, breath freezing in his chest. It was empty, Dean was gone.

He turned and scanned the forest, looking for some trace of the middle Winchester, some sign as to where the injured boy had gone. His trained eyes quickly found the trail the young man had left, his tracking skills taking in just how injured he must be. '_I can't believe the kid is still walking.'_ Joshua shook his head and headed off in the direction Dean had gone. He could tell by the state of the fire and remnants of the trail the Dean had probably left shortly after his father and brother, and even though it had been a while he knew Dean probably hadn't gotten far in his injured state. He smiled to himself as he turned to the south east, heading in the direction of the final river. '_The Winchesters may be good hunters, but they are as predictable as hell.'_ He then silently followed after Dean, hoping the shadow would not reach him first. Joshua had his own plans, and for them, he needed Dean.

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John ran through the forest, his long legs carrying him through the underbrush at breakneck speeds. As he ran he continued to yell his youngest son's name into the radio. Where the hell was he, why wasn't he answering. A million thoughts were rushing through his head as he raced on. '_I should never have let Sam go alone, I should never have left Dean.'_ He berated himself as he ran, fearing he would not get to the boys in time, the terrifying idea that he may be too late all too real in his mind. He couldn't lose them, he couldn't watch them die. He knew that no amount of revenge would keep him going if he lost his sons. He would just fall apart, crumble away into the oblivion without them.

He silently thanked god when he saw the river come into view, knowing that the cave Dean was hiding out in was not far away. He just hoped his son would be ok, hoped he had the strength to hold on, to outlast the shadows.

"Dean!" John yelled as he neared the shelter, all thoughts of caution gone, he just needed to see his son, alive. "Dean." He called again as he turned into the cave, freezing on the spot, heart clenching. It was empty. '_Where the hell is Dean.'_

"Oh, god." He whispered as he searched the interior of the small cavern, looking for any indication of what had happened to his son. He let out a long breath when he noticed that a few of their hunting supplies were also missing. "Damn it, Dean. When I say stay put, I mean it." He spoke out loud, momentarily relieved that Dean had left the cave of his own free will. He walked quickly back to the opening, following the trail Dean had left behind. _The other river._ John smiled to himself, '_good boy, Dean.'_ He then turned in the direction of the south river, he had to find Sam. He hastily left the cave behind him, silently willing Dean on, pushing him towards the river, praying that Dean would be able to end this all while he searched for Sammy.

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Sam could feel the ice cold air seeping into his bones, feel the wind brushing over his lips, the shadows forcing their way into his lungs. He could feel his mind slowing, his heart failing, his body freezing. They were all around him, stabbing him, suffocating him. He tried to move his tired body, his limbs protesting, his waning strength falling even further. But still he fought, he wouldn't let it end, not like this. He was not going to let himself die alone in this forest, his soul lost forever to the shadows, his strength feeding the monstrosity that dwelled in the darkness.

He push himself once more against the suffocating darkness, the shadows pulling back slightly, his weak body moving again, feeling again. He focused his mind on ridding himself of the twilight that was encasing him, freeing himself from the shadows that had taken hold. He could feel the warmth returning to his body, his mind clearing more. He continued to focus, to push, to fight.

Suddenly the air was filled with an ear splitting screech as the shadows around his body released him all together, the light overhead shining down weakly upon him. He laid there for several more minutes, his deprived lungs pulling in much needed air. He was again cold and shaky, his heart still beating weakly, but he was alive and free, the shadows fading back into the trees, dissipating into the air, watching him from just out of reach. Sam slowly struggled to his feet, his head swimming as his body continued to pull in oxygen, his hazy vision clearing more with each moment.

"Tougher then I look, huh." He spoke aloud to the silent forest as he picked up his walkie talkie and shotgun, looking once more into the cowering shadows. "It's gonna take more then that to keep Sam Winchester down." And with a cocky grin that Dean would have been proud of he turned back in the direction of the last river, his keen eyes scanning the fog, sharp mind focused completely on the hunt.

"Dad? Come in. Are you there?" Sam called into the radio, cursing loudly as a small light flashed, indicating the batteries were low. "Dad." Sam continued to radio his father as he walked in the direction of the last river, his long legs pulling him through the forest, shadows following just out of sight, afraid of the power housed within the young man.

"Sammy!" John's voice crackled through the radio, relief evident even through the growing static. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. Did you get the river?"

"Yeah. What happened to you?"

"Joshua, he knocked me out."

"Where is he?"

"I don't know."

"He just left you there?"

"He left me with the shadows."

"What happened?"

"Let's just say they were no match for me. They tried to take me again, but I fought them off."

"How."

"I willed them away, I guess that's the best way to put it. I can't really describe it."

"Good job, son. Where are you now?"

"I'm on my way to the other river."

"SAM!" Sam heard his name called out through the forest, his father's voice booming in the silence.

"DAD?" He called back in disbelief, staring down at the radio in his hand. '_What was his father doing all the way over here.'_

"Damn it, Sam, you look like hell." John began as he jogged over to his son, placing his hands on the boy's shoulders, checking him over. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He answered, shrugging out of his father's hold. "I thought you were gonna go back to Dean."

"I did, he's not there."

"What!"

"I think he left for the other river."

"You think. Dad, why the hell didn't you go there?"

"I had to find you first."

"No, you had to do your job first. You should have gone to the river."

"Don't lecture me."

"Dad, Dean's in no condition to be wandering around the woods. I mean, what if Joshua found him, what if the shadow has him?"

"I just, I had to find you, Sam. I can't lose you both."

"How do you know he went to the river?" Sam asked, desperately needing to change the subject, the break in his father's voice too much for him. '_Couldn't lose them both.'_ Did he already think that he had lost Dean?

"The supplies I left him are gone. I'm guessing he probably headed out right after us, went to the east river."

"Why would he do that?"

"Tell me one time you brother put his own well being before yours."

"I don't think there is."

John let a small smile slip. "I guess we were dreaming when we thought he would actually stay put."

"Yeah, wishful thinking." Sam smiled too as they began back in the direction of the final river, hoping to find Dean along the way. The fog was still heavy, the air unnaturally cold, and Sam knew that his brother had yet to bless the fourth river. He just prayed that it was fatigue and nothing else that was slowing his brother's progress.

"Did Joshua say anything to you?" John asked a few minutes later, both men moving quickly through the forest.

"He said he wasn't about to let us be the death of him. What did he mean by that?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe he's trapped here too?"

"Oh, I'm sure of that. Who the hell would want to stay here if they didn't have to."

"But that's not really our fault. I mean, he's the one that sent us here in the first place."

"I wish I knew, Sam. But there is something about all this that isn't adding up, we are missing something. All the shadow's plans changed when Joshua and I showed up."

"Yeah, it wanted more time."

"But why does it need Joshua to help?"

"I think it is pretty weak. Holding us here is probably draining it more then normal."

"Yeah, but something still isn't right. Joshua is too good to just follow a demon's orders."

"You think he knows something?"

"Yeah, I do. And I'm afraid it has something to do with your brother."

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The shadow watched the scene from high above, its icy breath chilling the mountain air, its gray eyes fierce with anger. '_Where was he.'_ Why was it unable to find the older brother? It knew the boy was no longer in the cave, it had seen Joshua searching, following his faint trail. But it still could not see him, could not feel him.

"The boy's done something." The shadow spoke to the slowly stilling winds, its power draining with each moment. This had to end, now.

It had tried to take the younger, tried to feed off his strength, drain away his life, but the boy was stronger then the shadow had ever believed possible. It wasn't supernatural strength, oh no, it was the pure strength of the human soul. It was the undeniable will to live, to fight, to stand strong. While Sam may have been the more stationary of the family, the least likely to hunt, he was by no means the weakest. His soul, his essence, was one of the most powerful life forces the shadow had ever faced. Too powerful. While Dean was a wealth of energy it had rarely felt before, Sam was a power house of life, a force the Asura was wrong to mess with.

The boy had drained him, crippled him, nearly destroyed him. It was weak and hungry, and needed Dean now more then ever. It had to find him, had to have him, needed him to survive. The Asura took one more deep breath, pulling together what little energy it left, and swirled into the wind, misted away into the forest. It couldn't sense the boy, couldn't see him from its perch, but that was not about to stop the shadow. It would have to hunt him the old fashioned way, trailing him through the forest, following the injured young man to his death.

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Dean stumbled through the woods, cursing as he moved, his walking stick catching in the soft ground, slowing him even further. His weak body shivered in the cold air, sweat beading on his pale face, running down his back. He knew he had a fever, could feel the warmth running though his freezing body, the tremors growing stronger with each passing moment. But still he pushed on, still he fought his way to the river.

He had to save them, had to help them, no matter what the cost to himself. He couldn't let his family be lost, vanishing into the shadows of the dead forest. He would not let his recklessness be the end of them. He had been angry the other night, trying desperately to lose himself in the night, fade away from all thought. He was growing tired of the hunt, tired of holding on to things it was clear he could not have. He relished the darkness, the silence, the solitude of the night, needing to forget, to be forgotten, if only for a little while.

He had never intended to put his family in harms way, never wanted them to follow him on his path to self destruction. '_For a family that doesn't need me, they sure are clingy.'_ He wished for nothing more then to have life be the way it was , but he knew that would never happen. With each passing month Sam's powers grew stronger, his visions clearer, while his father grew more distant, falling away into an after thought, a distant memory. And Dean was lost somewhere in the middle of it all. He tried to be strong for Sam, but his brother's growing powers terrified him, haunted him. He was afraid of what the young man might become, afraid he would be the monster Max had been. So outwardly he joked and teased, while inside he shrank away, hiding from his brother, distancing himself from the most important thing in his life.

And their father. Dean had tried to do everything the man asked of him, tried to be the perfect son, but he knew that that was impossible. He had failed him, disobeyed him, let him down. He had ignored an order, let his emotions cloud his judgment, and the Demon had gotten away, almost taking his family with it. And now it was growing again, killing again, and he knew that it would return for Sam. He had failed his family too often, let his guard down, put them in danger. It was his fault they were there now, dying at the hands of a shadow. He had to save them, had to save Sam and he didn't care what it took. He would give his life to them in a heartbeat, because that was all he had to give.

He froze as he heard a noise behind him, the leaves at his back rustling gently, almost imperceptible. He could hear the water running in the distance, knowing the river was not far ahead, his goal finally within reach. He continued to stand motionless, his keen ears listening for the source of the noise, his hunting instincts taking over. He silently tightened his grip on the shotgun, his body tensing, right arm wrapping tighter around his crutch. He heard the noise again, footsteps. Dean took a slow, steadying breath before turning himself on the spot, gun raised to his stalker.

"Dean, easy." Joshua shouted, raising his hands, a steady smile on his face. "Don't shoot, it's just me."

"What the hell were you doing sneaking up on me?"

"I'm sorry. It's just, being in this place has me a little on edge."

"Tell me about it." Dean spoke evenly, still training the shotgun on the older hunter.

"What happened to you?"

"Had a little altercation with the edge of a cliff."

"Are you all right?"

"I'm still breathing."

"Maybe you should rest, let me help." Joshua said smoothly, beginning to move forward, but Dean only tightened his grip on the shotgun, stopping the man in his tracks. "Dean, calm down."

"Where've you been all this time?"

"Looking for a way out of this hell hole. Where's your dad?"

"Working."

"And Sam?"

"Same."

"They left you alone?"

"I'm a big boy."

"What are you doing wandering around. Why don't you stay somewhere you'll be safe. Let me help."

"No thanks, I'm doing just fine on my own."

"Come on, Dean, you can barely stand. Rest here, please."

"I have to finish this."

"I'll do it, whatever you're trying to do, I'll do it. Just, let me help you lay down, you're in no condition to be moving around." Joshua said, moving quickly towards the defiant young man.

The shotgun blast echoed through the still forest, the gun sounding more like a cannon in the oppressive silence. Joshua and Dean were both throw back to the ground by the force, the older hunter landing unconscious on the cold earth. Dean hugged his right arm close to his body, cursing the pain it had caused when he broke his fall. He coughed several times before raising himself up to his elbow, taking a long look at the man before him, the rock salt leaving his chest bloodied and bruised.

"Sorry, dude, but I don't trust you any farther then I can throw you." Dean smirked as he struggled to his feet, taking another long look at Joshua. He smiled again and then looked down at the pendant around his neck, quietly reciting an ancient incantation as he held the cool metal. He knew it would hide him from the shadow's prying eyes, mask him in the Asura's own darkness. It wouldn't last for long, much like the banishing spell, but at least it was something, at least it would give him time. He just hoped it would be enough.

He then took a long steadying breath and grabbed his walking stick, turning back towards the final river, the shadow's end within his reach.

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

**Warning:** Reader discretion is advised.

A/N: just to let everyone know, this chapter gets a little gorey. it isnt anything that wouldnt be on the show (so i have not changed the rating) but it is still a little gruesom.

i want to again thank everyone for the reviews, i am glad you all still like it. this chapter was originally part of the last, but it would have been too long. as a result this chapter is kind of short. sorry about that.

thank the quick update to Ernesto! the weather here stinks, and i work for a golf course so i have today off. whoo hoo.

D: sadly, i dont own the Winchesters.

**SHADOW STALKER **

Chapter 15

Sam and John walked quickly through the forest, neither man speaking as they made their way to the fourth and final river. The shadows remained weak and faint, spurring on hope in both men, igniting a small sense of relief. If the Asura had gotten Dean then the shadows would have been stronger, much stronger. But still, the idea of their injured family member alone in the dark forest rested heavily on both their hearts.

They had never, really, showed him just how needed he truly was, how much they appreciated him. Dean had always been the one lost in the shuffle, taken for granted. He had always been there, strong and reliable, never absent when his family was in need. He had sacrificed everything he could have been for everyone else, and he did it freely, without complaint. They couldn't let him simply vanish into the forest, fade away like he had never been. He was too important, too needed, too loved to simply be forgotten, and when they found him again they would make sure he knew just that.

They both stopped in their tracks as the distant echo of a shotgun blast filled the heavy air around them, both men tensing. _Dean. Joshua. _Without a word the two began to run through the forest, their long legs tearing up the remain two miles, their hearts beating fast, both fearing when they would find when they arrived.

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The shadow turned at the sound of the blast, its gray eyes narrowing, sharp senses following the sound. It still could not sense the boy, his soul somehow hidden away, cloaked in the forest. But it knew that he had not been the victim of the gun shot. Its face twisted in a sick smile as it felt Joshua fall to the ground, his mind stunned by the action of the shooter. He had clearly underestimated the Winchester brothers as well.

It turned silently to where it had felt the older hunter fall, the winds around it beginning to breeze again, grow again with its hatred. The hunter was trying to take his prize, trying to steal Dean from him. Its shadow body misted away into the fog, a haunting, echoing laughter following in its wake. It would not lose, not after following them for so long. It would have its prize, take the boy, and nothing would stand in its way.

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Dean struggled forward, losing his balance and falling hard into a small clearing by the river. His face was screwed up in pain as his injured knee made contact with the ground, his breath hitching, his body shaking with the pain. He let a small groan escape as he laid there, fighting back the nausea that was trying to claim him.

"Thank god. Never thought I make it. In your face broken knee." Dean chided as he laid on his back in the damp grass, his breathing slow and shallow. The trek to the river had taken a lot out of him, his precious energy draining even further. But even that couldn't keep the young hunter down. He laid there for a few more minutes, willing strength back into his failing body, slowly pulling himself up on his elbows.

He was only about fifteen meters from the river, the murky water running swiftly between the high banks, the fog hanging thick around him, breezing over the land. He steadied himself and began to drag his cold body to where his walking stick had landed, his knee protesting every movement, his tired frame having little strength to stand. He grabbed the stick and began to push himself to his feet, his mind fighting fatigue, pushing away the darkness that was threatening to claim him.

"It's now or never." He breathed as he moved towards the river, his mind focused on the dark water.

"I don't think so." Dean looked behind him, Joshua emerging from the tree line, his shirt ripped and bloodied, eyes wild, a large hunting knife gleaming in his hand. Dean's green eyes widened in horror as the older man began walking towards him, his long strides carrying him quickly across the clearing.

"Shit." Dean wheezed as he began to pull himself forward as fast as his tired body would allow, his left hand gripping a rosary, shogun all but forgotten behind him. "Get the hell away from me." Dean shouted as he swung the walking stick towards the older man, hitting him in the knee, as he tried to grab him around the waist. Dean stumbled but stayed upright as Joshua fell to the ground, his leg throbbing.

"You little bastard." He yelled as he moved forward, grabbing Dean by the right ankle and pulling him to the ground. The young hunter crying out in pain as he fought frantically in the man's arms.

"Get off me." Dean shouted again as he continued to fight, a well placed kick making Joshua double over in pain, the knife still held tightly in his hand.

"Stop it."

"Like hell." Dean rolled over, sending a fist into Joshua's jaw, adrenaline numbing his body as he fought.

He grabbed again for the walking stick, swinging it at the older man's head but Joshua was too quick. He caught the stick and ripped it painfully from Dean's hands, throwing it to the side before grabbing his wrists, pinning his arms to the ground, and pressing his knee hard into the younger man's chest. Dean gasped in pain as he struggled beneath the weight of the larger man, his attacker's eyes shinning with an unrestrained rage, a twisted madness.

Dean forced his leg up, still gasping for air, and kicked Joshua hard in the back of the head, sending the man careening to the ground. Dean rolled away and immediately began to pull himself along the ground, desperately needing to make it to the river, trying to chant the Latin verses as he went, the man behind him staggering to stand.

Suddenly the fog around them began to darken as the winds picked up speed, the forest groaning as the shadows grew. Dean pushed his face into the ground as Joshua momentarily froze. "Oh god, no. Please." He whispered as his energy failed.

"DEAN!" The voices in the distance were like music to his ears. He looked up into the darkening forest, the shadows falling fast, as he heard his name shouted again and again by both his father and brother.

Dean's relief was short lived however, when he heard the footsteps coming towards him once again, Joshua grabbing him firmly by the waist, pulling him back. "DAD!" He shouted, struggling frantically against the ever tightening arms around him. "DAD!" He called again, as he fought in vain, Joshua holding him tightly from behind, pulling him up to his feet.

John and Sam tore through the woods at the sound of Dean's pain filled voice, both men pushing their long legs, willing themselves on. There was no time to waste, they had to get to him, had to find him. They ran on in the ever growing darkness, knowing that the Asura was upon them, upon Dean, the final river yet to be blessed. They were so close, inches away from killing the thing forever, but they still felt outnumbered, still knew they were lost in the forest, at the hands of the shadow. The two men erupted into the clearing, weapons raised and at the ready, the scene before them stopping them in their tracks.

The shadow was standing before them, between them and Dean, its back to the hunters. Its steely eyes were staring intently at Joshua, all its focus turned toward the traitor. Its face was twisted with rage, the air around them dripping with anger, swelling with hatred. There, standing before the monstrosity was Joshua, his back to the river, Dean held tightly in his arms, the hunting knife pressed firmly to his throat.

"Don't move." Joshua warned when he saw the two Winchesters emerge into the clearing, pulling Dean closer as he spoke, pushing the knife deeper into his skin, Dean's eyes wide in horror. "Drop the weapons." The two dropped them without hesitation both sets of eyes resting intently on Dean.

"Give me the boy." The shadow ordered, cold and even, it too staying back.

"What about our deal?"

"You are in no position to bargain."

"Oh no?" He pulled Dean closer still as he spoke. "This blade is blessed, if he dies by it his soul will be free. You won't be able to touch him."

"Don't you dare threaten me!"

"I get protection. My people get left alone, or you don't get him."

"What the hell are you doing?" John spoke, his voice cold and forceful, cutting through the air like razors, terrifying against the silence. Sam listened intently to his father and Joshua, his eyes never leaving his brother, his mind racing. He needed to get to Dean somehow, he couldn't lose him.

"I'm surviving, John."

"You have no right bringing my boys into this."

"I have no right! You, your boys, your the cause of this. You couldn't just fight the small stuff, you couldn't follow our advice, stay under the radar, let evil live where it had to. No, you went after that damn Fire Demon, you exposed us all. Jim, Caleb, they are dead because of you, because of your arrogance. Our families have suffered, our friends have suffered because of the fight you started. I'm not the only on to turn on you, I'm not the only one to give you up."

"They are my children."

"And this is my life, the lives of other hunters. They'll leave me alone if I give you up, let me go on my way for your kids. It's one life, John, one life for so many others."

"It's my son's life."

"I have an obligation to protect others like us, knowing you is a death sentence. You are destroying our entire community for a stupid vendetta. This is a sacrifice I am willing to make."

"Give me the boy, NOW." The shadow's icy voice echoed through the forest, the ground trembling with the sound, its steel gray eyes turning to blood red.

"You'll die without him. Now give me what I want."

"I will not be threatened by something as worthless as you!"

"Then you'll die." And with that Joshua pressed the blade harder into Dean's throat, the crimson blood flowing down his neck.

"NO!" Sam shouted as he ran forward, the wind around him blowing to a gale.

The air around them was suddenly filled with an earsplitting wail, a horrible roar, so loud and shrill that it forced both Sam and John to their knees, both me covering their ears against the unearthly noise. The shadow swelled as the winds grew, its unnatural screech filling the air as its eyes began to drip, its shadow body bursting into tendrils of air. In an instant it shot forward, in casing both Joshua and Dean, blocking the men from the light of day.

Sam's head shot up when the wailing was replaced by screams of pain like he had never heard before. Screams coming from his brother. The shadow was circling the men, ripping them apart, both hunters screaming in agony as the Asura dove into them, swirled around them. Sam looked to his brother, meeting eyes with the man as the shadow continued its assault. Dean's eyes were shining and wide, the horror and pain evident in his green gaze. He was pleading with his younger brother, whispering to him, saying good-bye, and Sam would have none of it.

Before their father could react Sam ran forward, his mind on autopilot, his own safety forgotten. His only goal, his only purpose was to get to Dean, to stop the pain, to free him from the shadow. As Sam reached for his brother he felt the shadow bore into him like sheets of ice, its very being freezing the men in rivers of icy fire. And the pain, the agony was unlike anything he had felt before, driving itself so deep into his soul he knew he would never forget the feeling. He used all of his momentum to knock Dean from Joshua's arms, covering his brother as the two rolled to a stop in the muddy grass, mere feet from the river.

Joshua continued to scream in the shadow's arms, his body convulsing grotesquely, skin melting away, falling from his bones like hot wax. "John, help me." The older hunter screamed, his voice vacant and hollow, his eyes sinking down into his graying skin. Sam turned his back to the scene, holding his brother tightly in his arms, the older boy speaking weakly as he hid his face in Sam's jacket.

And before them John watched on, frozen to the spot in terror and rage. He watched as Joshua melted away, watched as his face twisted in unmasked agony, as his voice died away into the wind. He watched as he slowly died, feeling ever piece of flesh that fell from his body, every bone breaking. And still John watched, loathing the man for bringing this down upon his children, giving them up to darkness.

"Dad." Sam spoke softly, still holding Dean, looking again at Joshua. He wanted his father to do something, to stop it. But he knew, he saw the look in his father's eyes, the raw anger, and he turned back to his brother.

The shadow then darted up, leaving Joshua where he lay, his bones discarded on the ground, empty eye sockets staring towards the boys, his broken jaw set in a silent scream, as the Asura turned its attention to the brothers. It was then that Dean looked up, his voice strong, eyes staring directly at the shadow.

"... aspersione hujus aquæ effugiat: ut salubritas, per invocationem sancti tui nominis expetita, ab omnibus sit impugnationibus defensa. Per Dominum, amen." Dean finished the blessing and threw the rosary over his head, the beads glistening in the weak light as it fell to the river.

The shadow let forth its deafening screech as it shot towards the bothers, blood red eyes wide with hatred. Sam pulled Dean close and turned his back to the demon, shielding his brother as the thing attacked. Just as he felt the rush of cold air hitting his bones, the ice stabbing him, the small rosary landed with a tiny splash in the river behind them.

Instantly the forest exploded with a roaring wind, the shadow shrieking once more as it vanished into the torrents of air. The wind blasted the three Winchester's, blew through them like a tornado, rushing over them, around them, pushing them to the ground. And then as quickly as it started the winds died away, as the sun shone brightly in the clear sky, the world around them falling suddenly silent.

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: well, like they say, all things must come to an end. so, here is the end of Shadow Stalker. i want to again thank everyone for the great reviews. i am glad you liked reading this as much as i liked writing it. let me know if you want more stories, i have plenty of ideas. :)

D: still dont own them, but i do have the DVDs.

**SHADOW STALKER**

Chapter 16

John's hazel eyes blinked open slowly, looking up into the clear blue sky, the warm sun beating down upon him, drying the damp grass, a light breeze blowing through the forest. His back ached and he could feel a lump growing on the back of his head, the force of the wind having pushed him down with surprising strength. He could hear the river running somewhere behind him, almost sensing the clear, cold water. They had done it, his boys had done it, they had killed the shadow.

"Sam? Dean?" John called out to his sons as he began to push himself off the warming ground, his head swimming as he started to rise. His sharp eyes searched the small clearing, taking in the scene, searching for his boys. He jumped quickly to his feet when he spotted them, laying next to each other about thirty feet away, both deathly still.

"Oh, please no." John knelt by his fallen sons, both boys pale and still, Sam's breathing shallow and forced, Dean still hidden beneath him. He took a long steadying breath before he moved to check them over, his mind racing, preparing for the worst, fearing he had destroyed his sons. Joshua's words reverberated through his mind. '_They are dead because of you, because of your arrogance.'_

Had he really been the cause of so many deaths? Was his family in danger from those he called friends? Had he written his own boys' death sentences? All these questions flooded through John's mind as he looked down at his two broken boys, laying together in the forsaken wilderness. _Was this the only life they could ever have?_

John mentally shook himself as he leaned over, carefully pulling Sam's arms away from his brother as he rolled him off of Dean. His skin was cold to the touch, face pale and blue, his lanky body limp. He gently brushed back Sam's hair, feeling his weak pulse as he checked him over, thankful that he was still with him. He didn't know what he would do without them, what he would do if he destroyed them. At that moment all he could think of was Mary. How he had failed her, what he had done to her two precious boys.

John rubbing his hands briskly across his tired face, forcing his mind back to the task at hand. He had to be strong, had to be there for his children. He had been blessed with his boys, he told himself that everyday, and he would be damned if he was going to lose them now. He finished checking Sam, gently lowering him to the ground before he turned to Dean, his son's back to him, body still frighteningly still.

Dean was laying on his stomach, his face hidden by his arm, blood evident on the collar of his jacket. John gently rolled him over, taking care not to aggravate him many injuries. He pressed his shaking fingers to Dean's blood covered throat and leaned over him, listening closely for breathing. John smiled and let out a long, shaky breath as he rested his forehead on his son's chest. He was breathing, he was alive. "Thank god."

He quickly pulled off his outer shirt, wadding it up as he gently pressed it to Dean's throat, the blood soaking slowly through the material. The cut was deep, but the pressure John was applying was stopping the flow of blood. He could feel air escaping through his hands as he pressed down on his shirt, Dean's windpipe obviously damaged. But he was still alive, he was still fighting. From the looks of it the shadow had attacked just in time to save Dean's life.

John ran his trembling hand over his oldest son's forehead as he looked long and hard at the remains of his once trusted friend. Joshua was nothing but a bloody pile of skin and bones, what was left of his face frozen forever in his torment, in his punishment. John valued human life above all else, fought for it, offered to die for it. But in that one moment, in that instant of attack John looked into the terrified eyes of another human being and did nothing, watching him melt away at the hands of a demon. And it didn't faze him, didn't hurt him. Joshua had brought his boys into danger, sold them to keep himself safe, and as far as John was concerned that man was no longer human. He deserved to die.

As he continued to care for Dean, John heard Sam groan quietly beside him, his youngest son fighting his way back to consciousness. Sam coughed several times, rolling on his side as his tired eyes slowly opened, blinking in the brightness of the sun. He looked up to his father, the older man's back to him, Dean resting on the ground in front of him, pale, bloody and unmoving.

"Dad?"

"Sammy." John began, still giving his full attention to Dean. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I think so, just sore."

"Good, I'm gonna need your help. We have to get your brother back to the cars, now!"

"How is he?" Sam asked, kneeling on Dean's other side, surveying his brother's damaged body. His skin was cold and frost bitten, almost as though he had been burned by the ice. His blood shone brightly against his too pale skin and his eyes looked sunken, his face stretched. But he was still breathing, he was still alive, and at the moment that was all Sam cared about.

"He's not good, his throat is damaged."

"Well, this is the first river we came to after losing the cars, they shouldn't be far."

"Lets just hope they are still there. We were only guessing that they never moved."

"Dad?" They both looked down at the sound, Dean's voice barely above a whisper, little more then a breeze passing through his parched lips.

"Hey, Dean." John leaned over, his forehead almost touching his son's. "Its ok, just relax, don't talk."

"Are we still here?" Dean breathed, his green eyes shining in the light.

"Yeah, but the shadow's gone. Good job, by the way."

Dean just smiled weakly before turning his attention to his brother, his eyes slowly slipping closed as he look up at Sam. "Still have the tape?" He asked quietly, Sam having to lean in close to hear his faint words.

"Yeah, I got it."

"Good, you gotta sing to it the whole time back."

"What! Why?"

"Punishment, for throwing it. Need to learn respect."

"Dean, that's stupid."

"Brought it on yourself, bitch."

"Jerk."

"Can we continue this later, we need to get back up the mountain."

"Yes, Sir." Dean whispered, trying to pull himself up.

"Whoa, Dean. Hold on there, Sport. Your not walking anywhere."

"Your gonna leave me here?"

John almost broke down right then and there. He had never seen such pain, such fear in his son's eyes, never heard such defeat in his voice. He wrapped a strong arm around the young man's shoulders and pulled him up to his chest, his head resting on his shoulder. "No Dean, I won't leave you here. But you can't walk, I'm gonna carry you out."

"I'm not a little kid!"

"Well, your my kid."

"How are you gonna hike like that?"

"I'll manage. Sammy, can you help me get him up?"

"Yeah." Sam moved forward, taking some of his brother's weight in his arms, as his father placed his other arm under Dean's knees, pulling him closer to his chest. "Ready?"

"Yeah." John lifted Dean from the ground with surprising strength, his grip tightening as Sam let go, his balance never wavering. Sam quickly collected their weapons as his father moved in the direction of the cars, his pace not even slowed by the man in his arms. Sam was both terrified and amazed at the sight, at how young and vulnerable his big, strong older brother looked cradled in their father's arms.

As he moved to follow his family he caught sight of Joshua's remains, his skin and bones laying almost forgotten in the empty forest. He had known him, trusted him, been raised with him, and this was what he had become, where he would remain. Sam had remembered him, known him as a strong and proud hunter, as someone to look up to. The tattered remains, the broken bones, those were not the man he knew, not the person he had grown to trust. In that moment, Sam realized that they were truly on their own, that life wasn't as simple as right or wrong, good or evil. They weren't just fighting the supernatural anymore, now they were fighting each other, and Sam didn't know if he would be able to do it.

He tightened his grip on one of the shotguns before turning away from the old hunter's remains, an icy breeze catching him for the slightest moment as he looked back at his retreating father. For a split second he felt froze, hungry, hateful. But in the next moment it had passed, leaving nothing but the warm autumn day in its wake. Sam shook himself and walked quickly from the clearing, heading back up the mountain, hoping against everything that the cars would be there.

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Two hours later Sam pulled himself up the last few meters of the escarpment, the edge of the road finally within sight. His father had decided to rest near the bottom of the mountain, sending Sam to scout the area. The hike back from the river had been hard on all of them. Sam could hear Dean's moans of protest as their father shifted him in his arms, even the slightest movements had sent pain careening through his injured body. He could also see the energy beginning to drain from his father, the older man refusing to let Sam carry his brother. He had taken on soul responsibility of Dean, holding his broken son tightly in his arms as he hiked through the dense forest, as though he was afraid that letting him go would mean losing him.

Sam threw the shotgun up above him, relieved at the sound of metal hitting asphalt. He climbed the last few feet to the road, letting out a long breath, a slight laughter in his voice. "Oh, thank god." He smiled in relief as he looked at the imposing black impala sitting in front of him, unharmed and waiting. '_Finally, something's going right.'_

"Sammy, you up there yet?"

"Yeah, Dad. I see the impala, but your car isn't here."

"Damn it. Joshua must have tried to drive out with it."

"Well, hopefully we'll find it down the road." Sam yelled as he began to climb back down the hill, his father slowly making his way up it, Dean still in his arms. Between the two of them they managed to get Dean back up the mountain, the middle Winchester having lost consciousness shortly after Sam had trekked up the mountain. They gently laid him across the back seat of his beloved car, the interior still littered with coffee cups and M&M wrappers, the car oblivious to the torment its owners had been suffering. Sam pulled a quilt from the trunk and wrapped it tightly around his brother as he and his father tried to make Dean as comfortable as possible, both knowing it would be a long drive back.

The impala roared to life as the three Winchesters made their way back out of the haunted forest. Sam smiled as he pulled the tape out and popped it into the stereo, the music blaring through the interior as John drove on at lightning speed.

"Don't hear you singing."

"I know." Sam smiled as he turned to survey his brother, Dean's eyes open but unfocused. "And your not gonna."

"Maybe I'll just throw your laptop out the window."

"You do and your going out the window after it."

"I'd like to see you try." Dean was suddenly overtaken by a fierce coughing fit, his tired body doubling over, knees pulled to his chest as unwanted tears streamed down him reddening face. He could barely breath as the coughing continued and he felt the car skid to a stop, both his father and brother running to the back.

John pulled open the door by Dean's head and lifted his son up into his arms, rubbing his back as he continued to fight for breath. Slowly Dean's breathing evened out, his forehead shinning with sweat, eyes staring up at his father and brother. "I'm ok." He smiled weakly, his voice even quieter then before.

"You sure?" John asked, still rubbing his son's back.

"Yeah, just drive, please. I wanna get out of here."

"All right, son."

"You know," Sam began, climbing back into the passenger's seat. "That's not gonna stop me from throwing your ass out the window."

"Worth a try." Dean managed before he was once again consumed by unconsciousness.

They drove on for a few hours, both men continually glancing into the back, making sure Dean was still breathing, still with them. John was hoping that, once they got off Shadow Pine Highway, they would be able to meet up with one of the search parties the sheriff had been organizing the day he arrived. He knew they would be able to get Dean to a hospital much faster then he would, and at the moment that was the most important thing on his mind.

"Dad. Look, over in the trees." Sam pointed, and John's keen eyes immediately followed, fearing the shadow had not been destroyed. He smiled and let out a long breath when he saw what Sam had been pointing at. There in the trees a few hundred meters ahead of them was his truck. John pulled up to the shoulder of the road looking once more at the truck before turning his attention to Sam.

"Just follow me. The local sheriff was sending out search parties, I'm gonna try to meet up with one after we get off the highway." He then looked back at Dean. "Keep an eye on your brother."

"Yes, Sir." Sam answered, sliding into the driver's seat.

The two cars sped down the highway, both engines roaring through the silent forest. In reality the family had not been far from civilization, the shadow forest more illusions then reality. After about a mile they found the end of Shadow Pine Highway, all three glad to be leaving that god forsaken strip of pavement behind them forever. After returning to the main road it didn't take long for John to run across one of the search parties, the groups astonished by the sudden arrival of the family.

"I need sheriff Cadler." John yelled as he ran to the nearest volunteer, the young man still visibly stunned at the abrupt appearance of the man.

"Yes, sir. He's right over there." The man pointed to a make shift command center off to the side of the road. Sam had too gotten out of the car, but instead if addressing the bystanders he moved to the back to be with his brother.

"Dear, god. Mr. Miller. Where the hell have you been!" Sheriff Cadler commented as he made his way from the command truck, his eyes moving past John to the impala. "Did you find them?"

"Yes, my oldest needs a hospital, right away. He fell down the cliff, he's in pretty bad shape."

"Of course. Matthews, radio General, tell them we need a chopper here, ASAP." The sheriff called back to the base as he followed John over to the boys, pushing back the volunteers as he went. "We need space here people. Everyone meet back with their respective groups. Radio in anyone who is still searching."

The two men made their way to the back of the impala, John climbing in to check over Dean's injuries as the sheriff kneeled down next to Sam, his eyes falling on the younger boy.

"Sam Miller?"

"Yeah." Sam answered quietly, eyes never leaving Dean.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"We got lost. Dean got out to look around when he fell."

"What happened to his neck?"

"I don't know, we found him this way."

"Ok. Don't worry, we're gonna do everything we can for him. How are you?"

"I'm fine."

"Ok, I'm still gonna want to have you checked out when you get to the hospital."

"Can I ride with my brother?"

"I'm afraid not, we have a helicopter coming for him. You and your dad are going to have to meet us at the hospital."

"He's afraid to fly. He won't get in the chopper."

"He really doesn't have a choice." The sheriff smiled and looked up at the sound of the approaching helicopter. "I'll be right back." He gently squeezed Sam's shoulder and gave John a strong, grateful look before turning towards the landing chopper. He was relieved that the family had been found, and he was hopeful that they still had time to save Dean. Too many people had been lost to that forest, too many good souls had met their ends there. He was glad that this family had somehow managed to survive it.

Sam whispered a quiet thank you when Dean remained unconscious, not having to see the fear in his eyes when he was loaded onto the helicopter without them. The youngest Winchester climbed slowly behind the wheel of his brother's precious car, the stresses of the past few days finally catching up with him. He leaned his tired body forward, resting his forehead on the steering wheel, taking slow, deliberate breaths, refusing to let the tears fall. It was over, finally, he just hoped that Dean wouldn't be the ordeal's final casualty.

He arrived at the hospital shortly after his father, the drive having taken them well over two hours. He had been in constant contact with John, both cells coming back to life upon leaving the forest. Sam's mind was racing as he parked the car and made his way over to his father, the older man already walking to the emergency room doors. Dean had been in bad shape, both men knew that. For Sam this was all too familiar, all to real. He had been here before, watching his brother and father wheeled into the emergency room, not knowing if he would ever see them again. He took a steadying breath and followed his father through the doors, John purposefully walking straight to the front desk.

"I'm here for my son, he was brought in by helicopter about two hours ago."

"Dean Miller?"

"Yes. How is he?"

"I'm going to need you to fill out some paper work."

"No, I need to see him now."

"Please, sir." The middle aged nurse answered curtly, though Sam could tell she was still trying to be sincere. "I will check on him while you fill it out."

"Thank you." Sam chimed in before his father could answer.

As the two turned they saw Sheriff Cadler in the waiting room, the man making his way over to the Winchesters.

"Have you had any word on my son?"

"No, I'm sorry. The last I heard he was being taken into surgery, that was an hour and a half ago."

"Thank you."

"No, thank you, Mr. Miller."

"For what?"

"You, your boys, you're the first people to make it back from that area. It kind of gives us all a little hope. My cousin, she went hiking up there with her family, never came back. We found her daughter, Krista, a few month later. Walked out of the forest, hair white as snow, never said another word. There were stories, legends, people started getting a real kick out of it. But they never lost anyone up there, they never knew how it felt. I'm just saying, it's a relief to see someone walk back out in one piece."

"Well, don't worry. I have a feeling there won't be too much trouble anymore."

"I hope not." The sheriff gave them a weak smile before turning to leave.

"Excuse me, Sheriff." Sam called to the retreating man. "What happened to Krista?"

"Died, a few years ago now. It was like her soul was gone or something, body just faded away. At least she's free now, with her family."

"Family of Dean Miller."

"I hope your boy's all right." The sheriff gave John a long look before turning, disappearing through the hospital doors.

"That's us." Sam answered, rising up to meet the doctor. "How is he?"

"He's going to be all right. He'll need extensive therapy for his knee, but his other injuries should heal on their own. You said he fell down the cliff?"

"That's right."

"Any idea what happened to his throat?"

"No, Sir. We found him like that."

"We already gave a statement to the police." John broke in, his voice on edge, eyes boring into the middle aged doctor. "Now I would like to see my son."

"Oh course, right this way."

The man nodded and left them outside the door of Dean's room, giving John one more disapproving look before continuing on with his day. John stared at the man as he left, feeling his anger boiling to the surface. How dare that pompous jerk think that he did this to his own child, to his own flesh and blood. If he weren't in a crowded hospital he would have given that man something to be afraid of. His mind was pulled back when he heard the door creaking open behind him, Sam quietly walking into his brother's room.

"Hey, Dean. You awake?"

"Yes. I woke up just in time to enjoy the helicopter ride from hell. I am never getting in one of those things again."

"Sorry about that."

"Your looking good there, Sport." John smiled as he walked over to Dean's bed, checking over his bandages. Yes he was in a hospital, but John still felt better taking care of his own children.

"As good as can be expected I guess." He answered quietly, his voice still barely more then a whisper, as he ran his hand over his frostbitten forehead.

"I thought you said women loved scars."

"Yeah, I guess."

"We killed it, Dean. Don't worry." John placed a reassuring hand on his son's shoulder.

"Yeah, just next time we get lured to an evil forest Sammy's gonna be the damsel in distress."

"All the more reason not to be lured to an evil forest."

"Dad, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"This is my fault, I never should have taken the road. I should never have trusted Joshua."

"Hey, I trusted him, he led me there too, remember. Don't beat yourself up about this, Dean. You had no way of knowing what he was planning."

"But who can we trust?"

"Each other." John smiled as he squeezed Dean's shoulder, looking up at Sam, who was standing by the window. "I'm proud of you boys, I trust your instincts."

"How long are you staying?" Sam asked, turning back to the window, eyes staring at the darkening sky.

"I'll be around till Dean gets released, then I have to go. It's not safe for us all to be together for long. Now, I'm gonna see about getting some food and playing cards. Might as well enjoy ourselves while we can." John smiled to his boys who both smiled back, all three savoring the short time they would have together.

Dean rested his head back against the pillows as John left, cornering the first pretty nurse to ask directions. Sam smiled, as he looked at the two, his mind clouding slightly as he stared, a strange needfulness and hatred flashing through him for an instant.

"Sam, shut the window." Dean chided, his eyes closed. "That breeze is freezing."

Sam just smiled and turned back to the window, gray eyes staring at the slowly setting sun.

THE END

A/N2: to everyone who asked me not to kill Dean. dont worry. i love all three Winchesters too much to kill them off. :)


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